Magical Origins
Year 4: The Goblet of Fire
The month of September passed without much incident. Mad-Eye Moody's classes prove to be challenging as he was testing his students in counterspells. They also learned about the Unforgivable Curses. Which wasn't pleasant in the slightest.
Harry wasn't having too much trouble with his work. Once again, he was pulling ahead in all his classwork.
The real shocker was when Harry showed how easily he was capable of throwing off the Imperius Curse. It was as if the curse didn't affect him at all.
However, when Lily was placed under the curse, her fire reacted immediately. It seemed to not like the fact that Lily was put under another's control, and it violently lashed out against Professor Moody. He was caught by surprise by the sudden swath of flames launched at him.
Moody soon learned not to place any kind of spell on Lily again. Not if he wanted to keep his eyebrows and remaining hair from turning to ash anyways.
The Fourth Years were receiving large amounts of homework. More so than usual. Professor McGonagall was kind enough to tell them why.
"An important phase of your magical education is almost upon you. Your Ordinary Wizarding Levels are drawing ever so closer…"
"We don't take our O.W.L.s till fifth year!" Dean Thomas retorted.
"That may be, Mister Thomas. However, so many of you are far behind your work. Mr. Potter and Miss Morris are still the only two who can reliably get Outstanding in their work. You all need to catch up quickly if you have any hopes of passing your O.W.L.s." Professor McGonagall said in a stern voice.
The class wasn't happy about that either. As they've never had to deal with so much homework.
October slowly arrived, and all the students were excited. The students from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons would be coming shortly.
Before Harry realized it, October thirtieth arrived. All the Head of Houses were straightening up their students to look proper and decent. Professor McGonagall herself was making herself hoarse as she was trying her best to repeatedly correct the inferior dresses and behavior of her own students. Many of them were trying to show off ridiculous items in their hair or on their clothes.
Harry sniggers, as Professor Snape made sure to check them at their dorms before allowing them to step outside.
Harry was taking his seat at his house table, with his Quidditch Captain Badge on his robes.
The feast wouldn't have started yet. Not until both Beauxbatons and Durmstrang arrived.
Then Dumbledore stood up.
"Awe, please welcome the lovely ladies and gentlemen of Beauxbatons Academy and their headmistress, Madame Olympe Maxime," Dumbledore said as the door opens up and several witches and wizards wearing light blue robes walk in. Behind them was the tallest woman Harry has ever seen. The only person he's seen as tall as she was Hagrid.
Harry takes a quick look at most of the students from Beauxbaton and notices many of them had great beauty to them.
Dumbledore kisses Madame Maxime's hand as she takes her seat next to Dumbledore. Her students looked around for a moment before they went to the Ravenclaw table and sat down at the end of their table.
The Ravenclaw's look a little surprise that Beauxbaton sat at their table but soon accepted this and started speaking to them.
Barely a couple minutes pass by when Dumbledore rose to his feet again.
"Please join me in welcoming the proud sons and daughters of Durmstrang!" Dumbledore said.
The doors burst open, and wizards and witches walk in wearing heavy winter robes.
Furthest back, walking in with their headmaster, was a face Harry knew too well.
Victor Krum.
The headmaster, Igor Karkaroff, walks up to Dumbledore and embraces him.
The Durmstrang students looked around. Over at the Gryffindor table, Harry could see Ron urging others to make room.
However, his motion already came too late.
Victor Krum led his schoolmates to the Slytherin table. They all sat down quite near Harry. Malfoy, significantly further down the table, looked like he wished he could change his seat.
"Krum." Victor Krum said as he shakes Harry's hand.
"I'm Harry Potter," Harry said as he shakes Victor Krum's hand.
The moment he said that all the nearby eyes from Durmstrang turned to him to look at him.
Harry never did like getting stared at.
Krum said something in -assumingly- Bulgarian, and the Durmstrang students broke eye contact, returning to their own conversation.
Dumbledore rose to his feet.
"Welcome! To our guests, we hope you find your stay at Hogwarts is both pleasant and warming!" Dumbledore said in a gentle voice. "Now, before we begin the Triwizard Tournament, we will enjoy our wonderful feast. I now invite you all to eat, drink, and make yourselves at home."
The table suddenly blossoms with food. It wasn't just Hogwarts food that appeared, but foreign dishes as well. It was clear the kitchens were doing all they could to impress their guests. Harry piles his plate with food and pours pumpkin juice into his goblet.
The feast was enjoyable, and their guests were clearly delighted themselves.
With the feast done, Dumbledore rose to his feet once more.
"The time has come," Dumbledore said in his grandfatherly voice. "The Triwizard Tournament is about to start. I have a couple of explanations to give out before we officially begin. First, let me introduce you to Briton's Mr. Barty Crouch, Head of Inter-Region Cooperation and to Mr. Ludo Bagman, Briton's Head of Magical Sports and Games." Dumbledore said. Both Bagman and Crouch stood up when their names were called and gave a slight bow. "Both have worked tirelessly with both the French Region and the Scandinavian Region Ministries for the Triwizard Tournament to commence this year. They will be joining myself, along with Beauxbaton's Headmistress Madame Olympe Maxime and Durmstrang's Headmaster Igor Karkaroff as the Triwizard Tournament's Panel Judges."
Dumbledore than waves, his wand and table appeared holding a strange goblet. The goblet itself was large and seem old. Made of wood instead of metal.
"The instructions for the tasks the champions will face this year have already been examined by Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman, and they have made the necessary arrangements for each challenge. There will be three tasks, spaced throughout the school year, and they will test the champions in many different ways… their powers of deduction, and of course, their ability to cope with danger."
Everyone seems to be dancing in their seats. Wanting to hear how the champions were chosen.
"As you know, three champions compete in the tournament. One from each school. They will be marked on how well they perform each task, and the champion with the highest points will win the Triwizard Cup! The champions will be chosen by an impartial selector: The Goblet of Fire!"
Everyone looks at the Goblet of Fire closely.
"In exactly ten minutes, the Goblet of Fire will become active once more! Anyone wishing to submit themselves as champions must write their names on a piece of parchment as well as their schools and drop it into the goblet." Dumbledore said as the Great Hall was silence as they look at him. "Because tomorrow night, on Halloween exactly at seven o'clock, the Goblet of Fire will choose a champion from each school. The Goblet of Fire will be placed in the entrance hall tonight. To ensure no underage student attempts to hoodwink their way into becoming champion, I will be drawing an age line to allow only those," Here Dumbledore pauses as he looks at the Weasley twins. "only those who are seventeen may enter. Do not do so lightly. Once chosen, there is no turning back. If you are indeed chosen, then you have to see it through immediately. As it forms a powerful magical contract."
Everyone paused as they took in Dumbledore's word.
Harry got up with the rest of the Slytherins and headed down to the dungeons.
The next day, classes were canceled. Instead, Hogwarts did something surprising for a Monday and allowed a free day at Hogsmeade.
This allowed a break for the teachers, and the students much needed time to rest away from their studies and to determine their own desires in the upcoming Tournament.
Harry was walking to Hogsmeade with Daphne, Tracy, and Blaise. Malfoy had thankfully gone on ahead with Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy.
Harry was enjoying himself. Drinking butterbeer, laughing, and joking with the others. He had a 'date' soon, after all, might as well relax a bit before meeting Lily later.
"Guys!" Several Gryffindor sixth year students said as they burst through the hall. Everyone was getting ready for the feast and the selection of the champions. "Harry and Lily are dueling!" They shouted.
The reaction was almost automatic, everyone quickly rose to their feet and promptly went to the courtyard to see the duel. Harry and Lily were indeed dueling, their spells were launching at high speeds towards one another.
"Bets, place your bets!" Fred and George shouted.
As usual, the Twin Weasley's were all trying to sort out bets before the match ended.
Belatedly, the Durmstrang and Beauxbaton students entered the courtyard, making it more crowded than usual. Everyone eager to watch the display before them as Harry and Lily was indeed dueling.
Harry raised a shield, absorbing Lily's spell before firing one of his own. Lily also raised a shield to counter Harry's spell. Then she threw one back at him.
Back and forth, the two were throwing spells.
Harry then waves his wand over a stone, and a golem quickly grew, blocking Lily's spell and already crumbling from the force of the spell. Harry cast a Depulso to the crumbling Golem, causing it to banish it's pieced, heading straight for Lily. Lily covered her face to avoid the debris and never saw the disarming spell heading for her.
Lily was hit and flip over in a one-eighty degree before landing on the ground.
"You cheated!" Lily said as she looks at Harry.
"Distractions isn't cheating," Harry said as he walks over and offers her his hand. She takes it, and he pulls her to his feet.
"Harry won! That's makes it eight to six." Fred and George shouted. Several students groan as others cheered. Some students evidently pleased at winning a pretty sum of gold, as others obviously lost gold as well.
"Everyone back inside. The feast is about to begin." The voice of Professor McGonagall called out as the students began to return to the Great Hall.
Harry and Lily said nothing as they return to the Great Hall. With everyone so eager to get to the feast and see the champions chosen, they had hoped their duel wouldn't attract any notice. It was their misfortune that several passing Gryffindors had seen them start their duel and decided to get the school involved.
Harry sits down at his table as Lily sits down with the Gryffindors.
The feast was underway, and everyone was eating until their heart's content. However, no one was eating much as it was their second feast in two days.
With dinner and desserts over, Dumbledore rose to his feet.
"It's about to begin, now we have a few moments before the Goblet of Fire makes its decision. I will now offer that time for any student to make their last decision in participating and willing to submit their names to the Goblet of Fire." Dumbledore said as silence filled the hall.
"Who do you think it's going to be?" Harry asks his peers.
"Everyone in Slytherin is talking about Warrington, who put his name in early this morning," Daphne said.
"Who else?" Harry asks intently.
"Well, the favorites for each House seems to be Cedric Diggory from Hufflepuff, Roger Davies from Ravenclaw. Then there's Angelina Johnson from Gryffindor."
"Well, all I know is this is going to be interesting," Harry said pointedly.
No one had gotten up to put their names in. Dumbledore stood there patiently until the Goblet of Fire blue flames suddenly turns red before slowly turning blue again.
"It's about time. The Goblet of Fire has made its decision. It will take another minute before our Champions are decided, once chosen you are to enter this chamber, where you will receive instructions for your first task." Dumbledore waves his wand causing the room to go dark. "Now, we will…." Dumbledore said, but at the moment, red flames burst forward, and a piece of parchment was shot out of the goblet. Dumbledore was, despite his old age, quick to grasp onto the floating parchment from the air with an almost snake-like snatch.
"The Champion for Durmstrang," Dumbledore said as everyone seem to be on the edge of their seat. Especially the Durmstrang Students. As some of them look like they wanted to walk forward. "Is Victor Krum!"
Durmstrang students leaped up to their feet and clap Victor Krum on his back as he gets up and makes his way to the chamber. He quickly disappears into the chamber.
The Goblet of Fire was blue for a few moments before it turns red again. Another piece of parchment was shot out of it as Dumbledore once again grasps it.
"The Champion for Beauxbatons," Dumbledore said in a loud voice. "is Fleur Delacour!"
Harry watched with interest as a girl with remarkable beauty stands up gracefully and walks forward. However, it seems several of her peers were less than pleased. A couple of girls had their heads down as if they were crying.
Fleur disappears into the chamber, and all eyes return once again to the Goblet of Fire. Hogwarts students were on the edge of their seats. Each house, holding their breath for the champion who would be chosen.
Everyone held their breath to hear who would be champion. Several students put their hands together in a prayer as if they were pleading for their house to be chosen.
The Goblet of Fire turn red once again, and a piece of parchment flew out.
Everyone held their breath greatly as Dumbledore grasps the parchment and looks at it. The tension was equal to the silence.
"Hogwarts Champion is…" Dumbledore said. Everyone seemed on edge out of their seats as if they were ready to explode. "Cedric Diggory!"
Most of the school groan, but it was hardly heard as every Hufflepuff student, jump to his and her feet, screaming with all dignity forgotten. The shouts overcame the Great Hall and echo throughout the night.
Cedric Diggory got up and was having a hard time getting to the chamber as every Hufflepuff student was clapping Cedric on his back as if he was their savior.
Cedric finally made it to the chamber and disappeared inside.
"Excellent! We now have our three champions. However, only one will go down in history as the Triwizard Champion! Support your champions in their trials ahead because…" Dumbledore began, but at that moment, the Goblet of Fire had turned red once more. Everyone turned to look at it in confusion.
The three Champions were already chosen, so why did it turn red?
A piece of parchment flew out, and the Goblet of Fire red flame completely disappeared. The blue flame did not reemerge.
Dumbledore grabs the parchment and looks at it. He mutters something before speaking louder. "Harry Potter!"
At that moment, Harry tried to sink in his seat. He wished he wasn't even present at the moment. Harry was sure Dumbledore was joking. All he could feel was everyone's eyes fell upon him.
"Go on," Daphne said, urging him forward.
Harry took a deep breath and steps forward.
"He's not even of age!" A Hufflepuff student shouted.
Harry said nothing as Dumbledore points to the chamber, and he walks inside.
The small chamber had Fleur, Krum, and Diggory looking at the fire. Fleur looks up and sees Harry immediately.
"What is it? Do they want us back in the hall?" She said in what could be described as a poor attempt at speaking English.
Harry said nothing but walks over to the corner and sits down on a stool. The dark corner matched his present mood at the moment. Someone had managed to enter him in the tournament.
The doors burst open, and Dumbledore came in with most of his staff as well as Igor Karkaroff and Madame Maxime.
Dumbledore quickly scans the room and sees Harry in the corner who stands up.
"Did you enter your name in the Goblet of Fire," Dumbledore asks at once.
"No," Harry said truthfully.
"Did you ask an older student to put your name in the Goblet of Fire?"
"No."
"He is obviously lying." Madame Maxime said.
"Do not be foolish. The Goblet of Fire is a powerful magical object. There have never been four champions before!" Mad-Eye Moody barked out. "Only a compelling Confundus Charm could've hoodwinked it. Magic way beyond a mere fourth year, no matter how talented he may be!"
"You seem to have given this a great deal of thought, Mad-Eye," Karkaroff said.
"Have you've forgotten Karkaroff, it was once my job to think like Dark Wizards. I'm sure you of all people would know that." Moody snarled out. He seemed to have grasped his wand in his hands tightly. Karkaroff stares back at Moody with equal dislike and - fear?
"This isn't helping Alastor." Dumbledore chided.
"I didn't enter. I had no desire to enter." Harry said. He needed to make his statement clear. Everyone slowly turns to look at him.
"Someone else obviously put Potter's name in the Goblet of Fire to make him enter." Mad-Eye Moody said. "My guess is, they put his name under a fourth school and made sure that he was the only candidate. This person also made the Goblet forget it was supposed to select only three schools." Mad-Eye paused for a moment before he said his next words. "He does have enemies."
"That may be, Barty!" Dumbledore said, turning to Crouch. "Can you get him out of this?"
Barty Crouch turns around and slowly begins to pace back and forth. After several moments, he stops and looks at Dumbledore.
"I cannot. The rules are perfectly clear in the matter. Mister Potter will have to compete in the Triwizard Tournament. The magical contract is firm. Until the tournament is finished, Mister Potter is the Fourth Champion."
"This is unfair. Hogwarts cannot be allowed two champions." Madame Maxime nearly shouted.
"I agree, we should do another round of the Goblet of Fire till all schools have two champions," Karkaroff said. "It's only fair, Dumbledore."
"It doesn't work like that. The Goblet of Fire's flames has died. It won't reignite for another five years." Bagman said.
"Then I will withdraw from this Tournament as Hogwarts seeks to have an unfair advantage over mine!" Karkaroff snaps.
"You can't leave. Victor Krum is under contract to compete. You of all people should know the consequences if a magical contract is broken, Karkaroff." Bagman interjected.
"We're getting nowhere. It seems, for better or for worse. Mister Potter is a Triwizard Champion. We should give our champions their instructions." Professor McGonagall said.
"Yes, of course." Bagman said. As if that settled the matter.
"Barty." Dumbledore urged.
"Yes, instructions." Barty Crouch excitedly. "The first task will be a test of your daring. Facing an unknown is an often occurrence in a witch or wizard's life. So, we will not be telling you what you'll be facing. We'll be judging you on your courage. You are not to seek help from your professors on any of the tasks. This task will take place on November twenty-fourth. You'll receive instructions just an hour before the first task." Barty stops as he turns to Bagman questioningly. "That's all, isn't it?"
Bagman nods his head.
"Then I wish you all goodnight," Dumbledore said.
Everyone turns tail to leave. Leaving Cedric and Harry with Dumbledore.
"Harry, Cedric. I'm sure you both want to return to your dorms. I'm sure both Hufflepuff and Slytherin are eagerly awaiting their champions." Dumbledore said in a small smile.
Harry knew at once it was true and turns to leave.
Harry said nothing to Cedric as he quickly disappears into the corridors.
Author Notes: I hope everyone enjoys! I've been taking a break from Magical Origins, but I haven't abandoned it. I'll try to have the next chapter up soon.
