Okay, I didn't want to leave you all waiting too long because I knew you all were waiting on the reactions for Harry to return to Hogwarts, so here is the first part. Next chapter will have more reactions because this one here is about the adults first.
One thing though, there is a twist or two in here so be prepared for a shocker if you're into that sort of thing.
If I go on I would end up spoiling the surprise, but I decided to make this chapter a little longer because it's a treat for you. Hopefully this will satisfy you for a while, because there will be more 'confrontations' in future chapters.
Written by myself and my sister author AnnaBoleyna1536, and we don't own Harry Potter.
Enjoy!
Great Hall, Wednesday night:
A quiet night in the Great Hall of Hogwarts; there was not a single sound anywhere other than the roaring flame of the magical goblet in the very center of the room. The students and teachers had gone to bed, all but the patrol waiting around the halls except a dark presence sneaking into the hall.
"Hmm." the figure said nothing, just slowly approached the room, looked to make sure they weren't followed, and then slowly shut the doors behind them. Approaching the goblet they pulled out their wand, and chanted a spell on it before depositing a small roll of parchment into the flame. A few moments passed, and nothing happened so the figure left. Once the doors shut, three other figures stepped out from under a cloak and sealed the doors.
"You saw who that was right?" Charlotte walked up to the goblet.
"Yeah, it can't be him at all." Remus and Sirius came up behind her. "His scent is different, I don't know why I didn't see it before."
"Well regardless we can't take him out just yet." Charlotte pulled out her wand and chanted a small hymn of a spell on the goblet. The flames turned bright white, and out spat the parchment from earlier. "Just as I saw, it's Harry's name." she showed it to them.
Harry Potter
"They don't know, good thing too." Sirius sighed. "You said Harry wanted to fight, but you won't let him." Charlotte shook her head.
"I don't think he thought it through, while I understand his affection and care for Viktor he can't fight a battle he's not ready for. This is for his own good." she destroyed the parchment.
"He might get angry, but he'll understand if we talk to him." Remus sighed. "You said if this happened there was a chance Voldemort would return, whether we intervened or not. Does Harry know?"
"Yes, but I don't fully know why he would think to fight in this tournament."
"Neither do we, but we'll find out later."
"Once the choosing is done we'll have to tell Dumbledore he's here tomorrow, why not capture the imposter?"
"We will, but not yet because once he realizes he failed he'll try and kidnap Harry. How and when I don't know, but if it happens then the process to revive Voldemort will quicken. Another plot is underway here so we need to be prepared to let some pieces fall into place. In the meantime we'll all keep an eye on Harry just in case something else happens."
"Do you know how?" Charlotte shook her head again.
"All I saw was a cauldron with some peculiar ingredients; I'll look into it later. Harry's not going to be happy I did this, and I don't know if he'll forgive me but…"
"He will, he'll understand once he realizes the danger. For now, Charlotte I think you'd best head back to Grimmauld and be back here before the choosing starts. Take the cloak with you, we won't need it yet." Sirius tossed it to her, Harry's invisibility cloak which he hadn't notice was missing yet.
"I'll be here, you two keep an eye out." with that said Charlotte disapparated from the room.
"Still can't believe how powerful she is, I think she could kill Voldemort if she had the chance." Remus chuckled.
"I believe anyone could kill Voldemort, but yes I agree Charlotte could do it if she wished." both men were glad Charlotte turned and stopped Harry's name in the goblet, neither of them wanted to let Harry compete in the first place and she knew what could happen if he had. Harry was still a kid, he deserved to be one for the small of time he had.
"Okay let's finish patrolling the halls; we'll need the strength for tomorrow." Sirius unsealed the room and left with Remus, though both me were unsure if they would sleep tomorrow at all.
The next evening:
(wanted to get this part over with)
Harry walked into the Great Hall with his school mates and took a seat next to Viktor. Tonight was the night, the night of the champion choosing and after that would come several tasks minus the main three for the cup.
'I don't know how to feel…' after he'd sent word to his mum about the tournament he'd been having mixed feelings. One was 'Why did I agree to this', another was 'I'm doing this to help Viktor', and the other was 'what am I thinking'? Part of him told him to contact Charlotte and call the whole thing off, but it was too late now. If his name came out of the goblet he'd have to either compete or be a backup for Viktor.
Sirius and Remus were on the other end of the room with the teachers and Ministry officials, they all seemed as anxious as the students minus Snape who had a blank expression on his. Harry wanted to curse the bastard when he first saw his face, but he knew that wouldn't do any good right now so he kept calm until Dumbledore showed up.
"And now the moment you've all been waiting for, the champion selection." the old man started after everyone walked in and was seated. He turned around and dimmed the torches around the hall, and slowly approached the goblet before it spat out some paper. "The Durmstrang champion is…Viktor Krum!" the whole Durmstrang side and some on Hogwarts' side cheered.
"Go." Harry smiled and Viktor walked to Dumbledore shaking his hand before going through a door. After he left the goblet spat out another name, and Dumbledore caught it.
"The Beauxbatons champion, Fleur Delacour!" a pale girl with beautiful golden blonde hair and blue eyes stood up from the Beauxbatons and shook Dumbledore's hand, leaving in the same direction as Viktor.
"Damn she's hot…" some of the boys behind Harry whispered. The goblet flared up once more, and Dumbledore caught the last piece.
"The Hogwarts champion, Cedric Diggory!" Cedric Diggory was a Hufflepuff, a good kid from what Harry knew and he was a good student so maybe he had a chance.
"Go Cedric!" all of Hufflepuff cheered and several other students from other houses joined in.
"Excellent! We now have our three champions, but in the end only one will go down in history, only one will win this chalice of champions, this vessel of victory…the Triwizard Cup!" Crouch unveiled a transparent blue trophy at the front of the room, but the cheers were short-lived as the goblet's fire flared larger than the first three and glowed red and blue as something else emerged from the flames. Everyone went silent, and Dumbledore read out the name.
"Harry Potter." everyone heard it, but Harry stayed still in his seat. All his friends went rigid, and Dumbledore searched the room. "Harry Potter?" everyone looked around.
"Harry…" Harry heard a whisper. "Stay still, wait until everyone leaves." it was his mum, but he couldn't see her. She must've used his cloak.
"HARRY POTTER!" Dumbledore called around again, but Harry didn't move. "Alright, everyone is dismissed. Teachers and guests to the trophy rooms." everyone dispersed, but Harry heard the whispers as the Hogwarts students left.
"Potter? He's not here anymore right?"
"He's a cheat if he is, probably best not to show his face."
"Potter's gone anyway, he's not here." they continued in confusion and insult, but once everyone left Harry moved away from his group and met with his godfathers.
"Come on Harry." they led him down a corridor and Harry felt Charlotte behind them in the cloak. They heard shouting further down, but Harry stayed back and got under the cloak with Charlotte to watch the scene unfold.
"How is this possible? The boy isn't around and his name comes from the goblet?" Minerva McGonagall looked at Dumbledore with concern.
"If we knew where the boy was we could bring him to compete, but we don't."
"Ee must've cheated…" Maxime started, she would think that after all.
"You don't know if he did it or not." Dumbledore tried to calm the situation, but Harry noticed Snape getting agitated. He emerged from under the cloak but stayed back against the door. "We don't know where Harry is."
"How can you not? Can't you trace his magic?" Crouch started, so he didn't know.
"We tried when he first disappeared, nothing came up."
"Vat do oo mean e' disappeared?" Maxime started.
"A complication last year caused the boy to go missing, we have no idea where he could be only that he's got a new guardian and his magic is untraceable. Nothing we did helped, even his relatives couldn't give us anything." Harry about snorted at that. "We don't know…"
"Albus, we do." Remus spoke up.
"What?" Snape looked at Remus like he'd grown a second head.
"We know where Harry is." Sirius motioned behind him and Harry appeared, but kept the glamour up.
"What's that boy doing here?" Viktor stared directly at Harry, eyes full of concern.
"It's okay." Harry spoke, pulled out the watch, clicked it, and the glamour dropped. All eyes bulged at him, but no one moved towards him as Sirius and Remus kept their hands on their wands.
"Harry…" Dumbledore stared at him in shock. "You're…"
"Alive, and a Durmstrang student now." he glared at the man.
"Mr. Potter…where have you been?" McGonagall had traces of tears in her eyes, she had missed him?
"With me." Charlotte's voice came and the cloak came off. Dumbledore's eyes seemed to widen larger when he saw her.
"YOU!" Snape pulled out his wand. "YOU STOLE HIM FROM ME!"
"Put that down Snape or you'll be arrested." Sirius glared pointing his wand at the man.
"You can't touch me Snape, but what's say we take this somewhere more private?" Charlotte had her hand on Harry's shoulder, but Harry felt her grip a little tight as if she were angry about something.
"No need, champions minus Harry and Headmaster Blagorodna can go. We'll discuss this later with them." little protest came, but the other champions left and Viktor touched Harry's shoulder before leaving. "Charlotte Prewett…" Dumbledore met her eyes.
"In the flesh, and it's Lady Prewett now." she glared worse than Harry. "Mighty fine job you're doing as Headmaster, allowing my son to be abused and bullied just before I found him. Not to mention keeping such important secrets from him."
"He's not your son…" Snape growled.
"More her son than yours Severus." Remus glared at the man.
"Charlotte, you know I didn't…" Dumbledore started but Harry interrupted.
"Shut up." Harry growled. "Don't talk down to my mum; you can't lie to her like you did me."
"What does he mean Albus?" Crouch stared at Dumbledore.
"Alright, that's enough." Anton stepped between the two groups. "I'm sure everyone's got questions, so let's answer one at a time." Anton glared at Snape. "You cannot take the boy from Charlotte, his adoption was legalized by our minister as was his transfer to Durmstrang. Another thing, his name is no longer Potter it's Prewett, which brings up a small complication on the matter of him competing."
"It does…" Crouch whispered.
"What does it mean?" Minerva stared between the men and Charlotte.
"It means that the boy won't have to compete, unless something happens to Krum. He will be what the rules call a replacement if Krum is fatally injured or worse killed, so it doesn't full exclude him."
"It shouldn't have happened to begin with." Charlotte started and looked down at Harry. "Your name wasn't supposed to come out."
"What…what do you mean?" she sighed. "Wait, you tried to stop it didn't you?"
"Yes." she didn't deny it. "You're not ready for this Harry, you shouldn't be involved so Sirius, Remus, and I pulled your name from the goblet last night…but why it came out this time I don't know. It shouldn't have…"
"Someone must've put his name in twice, bewitched the goblet just in case." Moody growled out but Harry didn't hear him.
"You said you would support my choice, why did you do this?"
"Harry she's worried for you, we all are." Remus tried to touch Harry's arm but he yanked away.
"You guys said you would support me, but you tried to…" he felt angry, and he saw a sad look on Charlotte's face. "You lied to me." he ran off down the corridor, ignoring the calls behind him.
Trophy room:
"Harry!" Charlotte called after her son but Harry kept on running.
"I'll go talk to him." Remus volunteered and left the room quickly but Sirius and Charlotte both had to be careful not to run after him.
"He's just upset, Remus will help." Sirius assured Charlotte and they turned back to the others.
"Charlotte, you saved Harry…that much we are grateful for."
"Oh really?" Charlotte had some anger in her eyes; Dumbledore knew why but said nothing.
"Saved him, she kidnapped him!" Snape snarled hatefully.
"She saved him you git! If she hadn't taken Harry at the time he would've died, would you have wanted that?" Sirius kept his guard up, looking ready to attack Snape if he dared to move closer.
"He is my son…she had no right to take him!"
"I had every right after what you and those other little Gryffindor bastards did to him!" Charlotte's magic was flaring up around the room; trophies were falling over or breaking.
"ENOUGH!" Dumbledore shouted. "This won't help the situation, so let's try and be civil to discuss this."
"Yes." Minerva agreed.
"Indeed." Anton sighed.
"Everything with the lad is legal, his adoption, school transfer, name change, all is legit. Lady Prewett is Harry's guardian, so if you wish to speak with the boy it will only be if she, I, or his godfathers are present." Anton knew this wasn't going to be easy, but at the very least he could stand up for his student.
"Understandable." Dumbledore nodded in agreement, he knew the documents on Harry's adoption had to be legal, otherwise his name and the papers Fudge found earlier last year wouldn't be real.
"As much as I would love to stay and continue this little reunion, I need to make sure MY son is alright. Sirius can you handle things here?" Sirius nodded and Charlotte took off. Snape moved to go after her, but Sirius blocked his way.
"Don't even try it Snape."
"That's my son..." Sirius didn't move.
"You want to talk to him, then wait."
"I have to leave, contact me with the details Albus and we'll discuss the boy's place in the tournament. It would seem though, if Krum continues…he won't need to compete." Crouch bid everyone good night and left in a hurry.
"In my office, now." after Anton left Dumbledore, Sirius, Moody, Minerva, and Snape all left to the large gargoyle guarding the office entrance, but it moved aside instead of waiting on a password. Once everyone was inside chaos erupted in words.
"You cannot abide by this headmaster!" Severus was ready to roll heads. "That woman has my son!"
"You heard what they said Severus, the boy's papers are all legal you won't have a case." Dumbledore rubbed his tired eyes. "I'm glad Harry is safe and alive, but I should've seen this coming."
"You should've." Sirius agreed.
"How Albus?" Moody asked, he didn't know much about the woman.
"Almost everything matches Charlotte's disappearance years ago." Minerva knew about it. "She ran away when she was eleven, and just like Harry's her trace vanished and poor Molly was distraught over the whole thing." Sirius wasn't sure about that.
"How did she get into the school? Someone would've seen her..." Severus wanted answers.
"Simply put, she's a seer." Dumbledore answered him. "A powerful seer like her great uncle Ignatius Prewett, she can disapparate through any wards anywhere. She must've seen Harry's death and took him to protect him, and based on the boy's state she's done well." Harry looked so much healthier, he'd even grown a little from what Dumbledore could see. The boy who was pale and small for his age wasn't the same one he saw moments ago.
"She loves him like her own, I've seen her with him." Sirius spoke up and a realization hit certain people in the room.
"She was the one who caught Pettigrew wasn't she?" Minerva asked. "And the one who proved your innocence?"
"Yes, she's helped Remus and I a lot and she's taken good care of Harry. Lady Prewett's powers are what got us this far, but I still don't understand how Harry's name still ended up chosen. Competing or no, this puts him in danger."
"It does, and listen Sirius…I have no intention of removing Harry if Charlotte is a good guardian, but we do have questions for her."
"Which she will answer later on, for now she's got Harry as her main concern; and I wouldn't call Molly on this yet, Charlotte's not up to talking with her."
"Very well, and it's clear that Harry doesn't have to compete as of yet…as for who put his name in we may have to wait and find out later…unless Charlotte already knows?" Sirius shrugged.
"I don't think she does, when she looked all she saw was a dark shadow. It might take longer but I wouldn't ask her, the only reason she's here now is because of Harry." Snape was the only one still seething but kept quiet.
"She knew he would be chosen, so she tried to stop it but someone confounded the goblet. What else does she know?" Minerva rubbed the back of her neck.
"I can't answer that, I'm going to keep Harry safe with her. Snape if you want a chance at getting to know my godson you'd best back down until he's ready."
"He's my son…"
"Who you threw away the minute you found out, so you sure as hell better back off or Charlotte will use all her power in the European Ministry to have you arrested or get a restraining order. She's the apprentice of the Undersecretary Mystique Joham." Snape's face paled at that. "Now I need to go check on the others, so if you want to talk to Harry you'd better ask first." Sirius left without another word.
"He's right Albus."
"Yes Minerva, so this isn't going to be an easy year for any of us. Charlotte has taken up the ladyship in her line, this means she has several connections if I recall correctly from Ignatius's time. Being the last full heir to the Prewett line, I can imagine the lengths she'll go to protecting Harry."
"The boy's name is Prewett now, not Potter." Moody looked a bit tense. "Can imagine what ol' Molly will think once she realizes the kid's now her adopted nephew."
"Yes well she always considered Harry a son, but I doubt Charlotte will allow her near the lad." Minerva sighed.
"Charlotte isn't going to be easy to talk to; she has her own anger left behind here from years ago." Dumbledore remembered how things had been when Charlotte first vanished…now he knew it had to have been Ignatius but the man was sick at the time. He would have to look into it.
"I will file a case; I will get my son back." Severus wasn't thinking clearly.
"Don't." Dumbledore turned to him. "Unless you want to lose the boy for good, back off like Sirius told you. If you try anything Charlotte will see it coming and she'll corner you worse, please Severus just wait."
"I've been waiting long enough!"
"I understand but the situation is more complicated than we thought. Let's focus on the tournament, and then I will try and converse with Charlotte. Alastor…keep an eye on Harry will you?"
"I can try, but he'll have the entire hall of Durmstrang behind him."
"Then do what you can, and don't anger Charlotte because if I recall correctly…she has that famous Prewett temper and it will be worse than a hurricane storm." Dumbledore collapsed into his chair after everyone left, knowing this would have to wait until later he decided to retire for the night but very much doubted he would sleep good.
In the corridor:
"Harry you know Charlotte didn't mean to hurt you." Sirius had found Harry in the corridor leading towards the Gryffindor common room, and he wasn't surprised to find him crying.
"She said she would support my choice…now it doesn't matter!" Harry wiped his eyes.
"It does matter, we're going to do everything we can to ensure your safety. That's why we did this, you aren't ready for a task like this kiddo."
"I just wanted to help Viktor."
"I know, but you can't put yourself at risk if the situation doesn't call for it Prongslet. Do you think Viktor would've wanted this?" Harry shook his head no. "So why did you do it?"
"I don't know!" Harry near shouted.
"That's a reason why you shouldn't have allowed it to happen, if you have unclear intentions you don't know what to expect. Harry listen…Charlotte is trying to protect you like we are, she loves you and if a mother goes back on a promise like saving her child from a dangerous tournament then that's what I would call love. I would've done the same thing."
"Why? You all said you'd support my decision?"
"We would, but we thought you would back out and when you didn't well…Charlotte didn't want you to get hurt so she had us help."
"It's true Harry." both heads turned to see Charlotte just a few feet away. "I didn't do this to hurt you, I love you."
"You lied…"
"No I didn't, I just had a little wishful thinking is all. Look sweetie you're still involved in the tournament, but you can rest assured I'll be here with you as will your godfathers and your headmaster." she went to crouch down in front of Harry, and he couldn't turn away from those eyes full of love.
"I wanted to help…now I don't know what I was thinking?!"
"Look Harry I know you're upset, but you'll understand soon enough…" Charlotte stopped and her face blanked out. "Damn…Harry get back to your suite we'll talk more later." Harry didn't move as he heard footsteps coming down the corridor, probably from the stairs but he wasn't fully prepared for the faces he saw.
"Potter…" it was Ron and Hermione, and neither looked too happy to see him.
"Oh great…"
I know I know I'm evil with the cliffhangers! Fear not though everyone I will start on the next chapter tomorrow afternoon because I too am itching to put out the next part of the confrontations. Hopefully I can have it up by the end of the weekend if not next week.
So Charlotte tried to stop Harry's name from coming out but it didn't work. What can this mean for the rest of the tournament?
Next chapter Harry has a few cold reunions, and we see something in for Charlotte and Dumbledore. Snape may try something yet, but how far will he go before he realizes he'll be hurting Harry more? Is Charlotte going to reunite with some family members, or is she going to make sure they stay away from her and Harry until the right moment?
R&R
Later!
