Author's Notes: Welcome back to another chapter. Hope you like it. I would request you guys to keep an open mind while reading it. I will explain why I am saying this at the end of chapter AN.

The story has a whooping 21K views, 191 followers and 119 favorites. Thank you so much for all the love and support. I really loved some of the reviews this time around

Ermac18- Este comentario se ha escrito a través de Google Translate. Realmente aprecio el esfuerzo realizado por usted para leer la historia. Espero poder mantenerte interesado en la historia.

Acerca de que Snape no iba a Azkaban por usar imperdonables, la simple razón fue que sus varitas no fueron revisadas. Además, Dumbledore no quería que el ataque se hiciera público, por lo que lo ocultó.

Anarion87- Always the first reviewer on every chapter. Thanks, mate

mizzrazz72 - Yes, Harry wants out of Hogwarts. But, he will adjust to the life. I personally had to change schools and i initially hated my new school and kept comparing it to my old school. Eventually, i made new friends and got adjusted to life at the new school.

suryamgangwal63 - Glad to know i am not the only crazy one out there and welcome to an elite group - Indians, Harry Potter fanfic afficionados and Haphne supporters (we are currently the only two members)

Also, Harry Potter and its universe is owned by J K Rowling, Bloomsbury and Warner Bros. If you use Harry Potter for monetary purposes, there is a good chance you could be sued for copyright infringement. Be warned. I just do it for fun and i don't earn any monetary benefits from it.

Having said that, Happy reading!

Chapter 15

A few hours earlier

Earlier that day, a notice had been posted on all the common rooms' notice board.

By the notice of the British Ministry of Magic

International Wizarding Tournament

The International Conferderation of Wizards (ICW) in association with various wizarding institutions and their magical governments, has decided to conduct the International Wizarding Tournament over the ongoing academic year. This tournament will be conducted at various locations across the globe, in an attempt to bring all wizarding communities closer and display their hospitality, camaraderie and competitive spirit. The tournament is being revived after 300 years and multiple failed attempts.

Hogwarts has been chosen as one of the participating schools and will be hosting one of the events on its grounds. This tournament will be a test of a wizard or witch's magical prowess, mental acumen, valor and strength. We invite eligible candidates to apply (eligibility criteria and nomination process provided below), with winners taking home a Prize money of 50,000 galleons and 'Eternal Glory'.

Do you have what it takes to be crowned the 'International Wizarding Champion'?

If the answer is Yes, you better start honing your skills. Because if you get chosen, you will be part of an adventure of a lifetime.

Rules and Regulations

1. Wizards have to be of age (Seventeen years or above) at the time of the champions selection on October 31st.

2. A total of Eighteen schools will be participating in this event.

3. Each school will have one champion representing them.

4. The champions will be selected by an ancient artifact - "The Goblet of Fire"

5. The Goblet of fire will travel to each participating school and potential participants will have 24 hours to submit their names when it arrives at your school.

6. Every champion will be asked to sign a contract after being selected. This contract will function as a declaration by the champion stating their participation in the tournament is voluntary, without any coercion.

7. A champion can withdraw from the tournament at any stage of the tournament. A replacement champion will not be allowed for the school.

8. This tournament consists of six events.

9. Each event will take place at a different pre-decided location. This location will be in close proximity to one participating school.

10. At the end of each round, the bottom three schools will be eliminated. In other words, 18 teams will be part of round 1, 15 for Round 2, 12 for Round 3, 9 for Round 4, 6 for Round 5 and the last 3 teams will enter the final round.

11. All events, except the final are time based. Rankings will be decided depending on the time taken by the champions to complete the objective, the person taking the least amount ranking first and the champion taking the most time being last.

12. All champions reaching Round 3 and above will be granted a free pass for the end of year exams and will be granted the equivalent magical qualification they are eligible for (if the Champion is a seventh-year student at Hogwarts, he/she will be awarded NEWTS for all their subjects. If the champion is a sixth-year student, he/she will automatically graduate without having to give any exams). Any Champion getting eliminated prior, will have to take their regular end of year exams.

13. Similarly, champions will be expected to relieve themself of any other extracurricular activity they are part of, during their participation in the tournament.

14. All events will be displayed live in every school through a prototype device manufactured by Marauders Inc, so that all schools can join us in cheering for their favorite champions.

15. As this is a school level tournament, betting is illegal. Anybody found involved in betting will be criminally prosecuted by the ICW.

16. Any champion found guilty of bribery or coercion of tournament officials (school staff, ICW members, referees, support staff, ministry staff) to gain an advantage would be disqualified from the tournament. The champion will be given an opportunity to dispute the disqualification, and will be heard by the ICW officials in charge of the event.

17. Every champion is given a choice to choose a guide/coach. This person cannot be a member of the teaching faculty of any participating school. In the event a champion is unable to procure one, the ICW will provide a list of candidates from which one can be chosen.

18. A rule book will be provided to all champions at the time of selection.

19. Tickets for general public will be available for sale at the "Department of International Co-operation".

Wishing for a Hogwarts victory!

Minister of Magic,

Cornelius Fudge

Needless to say, excitement was abuzz across the school. Some students were depressed with the age-limit. Others were excited about the tournament in general. Many had taken to make predictions on who the champion would be.

Harry would have loved to participate, but he was happy that there would be someone from his family who would be participating. He had read the rules. If his prediction proves right, and if Dora got selected, a certain Black family member would be coming out of hibernation as her mentor. It would surely scare some people with buried skeletons in their closets.

Cedric Diggory was a seventh year Hufflepuff who had also read the notice. He would be submitting his name for the tournament. A hard-working student with excellent grades, and the captain of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team. Though if he got selected, he would have to give up his captaincy. But this was a once in a life-time opportunity.

Similarly, three other students were also preparing themselves for the tournament. Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor, Cassius Warrington of Slytherin and Roger Davies of Ravenclaw. All these four names had quickly jumped to the forefront and were the current favorites among the Hogwarts population to be selected for the tournament as 'Champion of Hogwarts'.

A few hours later – Headmaster's office (from where we left off in the previous chapter)

"Come in, Harry. Thank you Filius for bringing Harry here. You can leave"

Harry's senses immediately went into overdrive. He would be alone with a person who hated him and a person who didn't have his best intentions in mind. It wasn't a favorable situation for him. He had been caught unawares. He needed to even the playing field. He took a deep breath and remembered his aunt's words

Flashback – Few years back

Harry had just turned nine and had been visiting Sirius's penthouse in New York. He was currently in a room sitting across from his aunt. They had been in deep discussion ranging from Harry's favorite things, his parents, Padfoot and so on. Padfoot had been away on some personal work.

His aunt had suddenly changed the topic though and asked him something out of the blue -

"Harry, what would you do when you are outnumbered?"

"I didn't understand, Aunt Bella."

"OK, let me put you in a scenario. Let's say for your vacation, you wanted to go to the Grand Canyon. However, Mom, Dad and Dora want to go to Disneyland and have ganged up on you to pressurize you to go to Disneyland instead. What will you do?"

"Eh, I would go to Disneyland, i guess?"

"Now, tell me why you came to that decision?"

"Well, since they are my family and if they are going to be happy by going to Disneyland, then why not? I could probably go to Arizona some other day."

"Right. Makes sense. Now let's replace Mom, Dad and Dora with your friends. Would you still stick to your decision?"

"Maybe, but I would probably try and convince them that the other option is also good. I like Disneyland compared to the Grand Canyon, just so you know."

"It's just an example, Harry. What if you didn't like Disneyland?"

"I would either try to convince them or refuse to go."

"Fair enough. Now, let's change the scenario a bit more. You are planning a trip with your classmates, and your rival says that they should plan one to Disneyland, and most of your classmates agree. You still don't like Disneyland. What will be your first reaction?"

"I will refuse to go."

"What if you don't have a choice and must go?"

"I will go?"

"Of course, you will. But what you need to do is try and make the trip bearable to you. You gather information about the trip, find things you would like to do there, gather some good companions along the way which will help you and so on. You should try and change a possible bad experience into an acceptable experience."

"Why are you telling me all this, aunt Bella?"

"Because, you need to learn that things will not always favor you. There will be times when you will be thrust into a situation, where things look bad for you. The first thing you do in such times is never lose your calm, try and gather support and gather all the available information around you to try and neutralize the disadvantage. Once you have done that, you will be able to turn the situation around and get out of it without much damage to yourself."

"Do you think i will come across many situations like these?"

"I do think so. You will one day take over the headship of a family. You will face many situations where you will have to take hard decisions. Always remember the priority you followed in the example. Family comes first, followed by friends and you do everything to stand strong in front of your enemy. Victory is secondary, as long as you keep a calm mind, you will eventually find a way. Always remember that."

"I will aunt Bella."

"Come, let's go for a walk. Central Park is beautiful at this time of the year. Maybe we will buy some donuts on the way."

-End of Flashback-

Harry analyzed the situation around him and made a quickfire call

"I am sorry Headmaster. Am I here for academic or personal reasons?"

"A bit of both, my boy. Just wanted to check up on you and make sure you are adjusting to Hogwarts."

"In that case, I would request Professor Flitwick to stay back. After all, he is my head of house."

The half goblin had already turned to leave, but stopped mid-motion.

"I am not sure that's necessary, Harry."

"But I do. I would highly appreciate it if my head of house is part of any academic discussion involving me. I am sure you can understand that."

"When you put it that way, it does make sense. I guess Filius can stay back."

Flitwick turned around and stood by Harry's side.

"You all can take a seat" Dumbledore stated plainly.

Even if Harry wanted to get out of the place at the first chance, he took one of the seats, with Flitwick occupying the other

Snape just stood there glaring at Harry.

"So, Harry, Professor Snape brought it to my notice that your behavior was out of bounds in today's potions class. I have heard his case and found merit. As punishment for your actions in the Potions class, you will serve a week's detention with Professor Snape starting tonight. The required points have already been deducted by him."

"And pray tell me, what did Mr. Potter do that warrants this?" The half goblin chimed in.

"This pathetic excuse of a wizard disrespected me and threatened me during the class." Snape said through gritted teeth.

"For all its worth, I accept that I did commit both these acts. In my defense, I was not the aggressor. He came at me, and I gave it back to him."

"It's unacceptable Harry. You should apologize to him."

"Of course. I intended to apologize to him at the end of the class, just so you know. However, I didn't get an opportunity due to Potions Master Snape's abrupt exit. Let's get it out of the way though, shall we? Potion Masters Snape, I apologize for my behavior earlier today. It was disrespectful. I hope you have it in you to forgive my indiscretions." Harry responded with an authority which baffled everyone in the room.

"That was anti-climactic. I didn't expect you to apologize so readily, Harry." Flitwick couldn't hold back.

"I have heard about Potions Master Snape's prowess. I actually respect him for his knowledge. I totally meant to apologize to him at the end of the class, but didn't get a chance."

"That's good to know. Nevertheless, let's leave it at this." Dumbledore said jubilantly.

"So, if that's it Headmaster. I request your permission to leave. I have other things planned to do and time is of essence."

"Sure Harry. But I wonder if you have some time for an old man's curiosities."

"I guess I can bear a few minutes." The wheels were already turning in Harry's head.

"I am curious about your home life, Harry. Where did you grow up? What do you like? I want to get to know about the Boy-who-lived. You are a mystery to many; in case you didn't know."

"I am sorry Headmaster. But that's personal. You would need either my guardian's permission or have him present and only if he agrees will I share any information."

"There's that arrogance again, just like his father. I knew the apology was just a smokescreen. It didn't take long for the real you to come out, did it Potter?" Snape couldn't help but take a potshot.

"Calm down Severus." Dumbledore calmly said. He turned towards Harry and addressed him -" I understand your stance. But I would need this information to help you. As I said, you are famous in our world. There are people who wish you happiness and harm. This information will help me in safeguarding your interests, whilst you are a student of Hogwarts."

"Sirius was right. You are a smooth talker. But my answer is still no. I respect my privacy very much and do not like anybody invading it without my consent, for good or for bad." Harry stood up to leave. "If That's all Headmaster. I beg your leave."

"I have no choice but leaving this discussion for now. If you ever feel the need to discuss this at a later date, my office will always be open to you."

"I appreciate the offer. I hope I would never find myself in that situation."

Harry looked into Dumbledore's blue eyes and felt a wave of Legilimency hitting his mental shields and getting rebuffed. Harry's face turned into a grin. Dumbledore looked aghast.

"You know I can press charges against you for what you did right now. But it would be my words against yours. The case will be dismissed even before it reaches the courtroom. I would advise you not to fall to such levels in future. As you might have guessed, I was able to feel and repel your probe on my mental faculties. I am not from your sheep populace. It would be good if you understand that and give me some space."

Flitwick and Snape both understood the situation and were shocked that a fourteen-year-old could repel Dumbledore's legilimency probe.

Harry turned around and walked to the door. He opened it and turned around and spoke in a resigned voice

"It was never my intention to antagonize either of you today. But you couldn't hold back, could you? That's why I apologized in the first place. Yes, I have issues with Snape here. But I was ready to let go off them hoping that I would learn something from such an accomplished master. Alas, it wasn't meant to be. Till six weeks ago, I didn't have any issues with you as well, Headmaster. Honestly, I was amazed that you went to such distances to have me attend Hogwarts. Today's events just proved that you have some ulterior motives. Trust is a two-way street. I was ready to walk halfway, but you decided to burn the bridge so soon. I am not sure if I should feel bad for you or happy for me. And just to add, please expect a letter from my guardian in the next few days. I am dropping some subjects taught by Hogwarts, as I found the teaching and course material lacking. I will be taking classes with private tutors. I would request you to salvage your remaining credibility and not try to get another legislation opposing it. Because it would be very bad for your school. Good day to you, Headmaster. See you at tea tomorrow, Professor Flitwick." And he left the room before anybody had the time to gather their thoughts and respond.

Dumbledore knew he had messed up. All he had to do was to hold back his urge to read the boy's thoughts. If her had done that, he could have lived to fight another day. The boy would be on his guard and future one-on-ne meetings would never happen. He had to find a way to sort this out. Harry Potter was still an enigma to him.

Ten minutes later, Harry found himself back in his dorm bed. He had applied the standard privacy charms to make sure he would not be overheard. He had to make three calls, each one being as important as the other two. Without wasting any time, he took out his communication mirror and called out the first name-

"Aunt Bella".

He patiently waited for his aunt to activate her communication mirror and soon enough her face materialized.

Bellatrix Black had changed over the past fourteen years. Physically, the trademark jet black hair was now punctuated with a lot of grey hair. A once pretty face had lost its beauty, but the eyes still held the same power as before. It had been her psychological side which had been more impacted though.

It had taken her seven long years to overcome the guilt, pain and remorse she felt for being a part of the Dark Lord's band of vandals. She had been eternally thankful to Sirius for sticking with her though her maniacal episodes after he got her custody. He had put in a lot of effort in rehabilitating her. When Sirius moved to New York, he had brought her with him. The MACUSA authorities had not been happy with having her there. Sirius had taken personal responsibility and had explained the circumstances surrounding her. Nevertheless, she had been under continuous surveillance and hadn't been allowed to leave Sirius' house for the initial three years. She also had a personal nurse who stayed at the property and handled her treatment. Healers had visited her every week and she had been on a strict regime to bring back her mental faculties. She knew that she would retain a certain level of craziness inside of her, as the wounds dug deep. But over a period of time, she was able to function without a nurse, and after some evaluations by the MACUSA, had been allowed to leave Sirius' house. Sirius had stuck with her through thick and thin throughout this time spending sleepless nights calming her down, reassuring her that she would feel better soon and doing everything within his power to heal her psyche. It had been Harry who had a profound impact on her, though.

Bellatrix was a feared name within Voldemort's ranks and outside of it. People were known to soil their clothes in her presence. Yet, a five-year-old had walked up to her confidently the first time and had hugged her when Sirius had introduced her as his aunt. She knew only of two others who had shown that level of emotion and trust towards her, Lily (before the marriage) and Sirius (after her release). Harry had been full of questions for her, and for a while it had been like she was back with Lily when they were way younger. She had cried that night, for her sister, for her family and for Harry. She had then resolved to really try and get better, so that she could give him the love and knowledge that Lily would have wanted her to give. She had told Sirius the next day that she wished to be a part of Harry's life and training. Sirius had been skeptical at first, but after numerous assurances he had agreed to allow her. He had initially attended a few sessions, but had later dropped off. Her bond with Sirius, Harry and Dora (who joined the training) had only grown ever since and she had vowed to stand by them when the time came.

"Harry. Surprised to get your call at this time. I thought we were going to talk tomorrow night."

"Sorry Aunt Bella. This was kind of an emergency."

"Not a problem. You do know how much I love talking to you. So, what happened? Fell head over heels for some lovely young lady?"

"I am sure Padfoot would have been the right person to call for that level of advice."

"Are you trying to indicate that I can't help you with topics such as love and romance?"

"Of course, you can. But it's not your forte. You know what you are good at?"

"What would that be?"

"Magic and Politics. And I called you to discuss something that happened today which involves both."

"Now you are talking. Let me guess. You had a chat with Dumbledore, didn't you? How is that old coot these days?"

"I did. And you wouldn't like it."

"We were all expecting it, to be honest. So, what happened? I want every little detail."

And Harry explained everything in detail.

"How dare he use Legilimency on you? What if you didn't know Occlumency? He is such a hypocrite, preaching the world to be straight and using underhanded tactics himself."

"That's not all, I think he used Legilimency on Daphne as well last year. That's how he figured out where I was."

"Did you talk to Siri about this?"

"He is next on my list."

"I really don't like you studying there at the moment. But I think you were right in opting for private tutors. I will help Siri in interviewing potential candidates."

"I want you to do some other things as well. First, Dora will surely be attempting to enter the International Wizarding Tournament. I want you to be her coach for this."

"Do you think they will let me be her coach?"

"That's why I am telling you this in advance. Do what is necessary. If Dora gets selected, and you become her coach, it serves two purposes. The people will know that the House of Black is rising again. Secondly, it will help in improving your image."

"Let me think about it and of course, Dora will have to choose me first."

"I will be suggesting your name, but it would be her choice. And I don't think she has anybody else better than you for the role."

"Ok, what else?"

"Next, I want you to start collecting all information on Dumbledore and Snape. If they attempt to control me, I want information handy that will ruin them."

"Why not ask Siri to do this? He is better positioned to gather intel, being in England at the moment."

"I have something else planned for him. He will be tabling changes to laws which are impacting Magical Britain. He and the tournament should keep Dumbledore busy enough for you to gather intel."

"I like the way you are thinking. I will have to reach out to some old contacts. Shady characters who would spill information for galleons. I will let you know when I have something."

"Thank you, Aunt Bella. So, what else have you been doing these days?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you. Last Sunday, I went by your house for dinner. Everyone is fine there. The dogs miss you and so do Mom, Dad and Dora. And the other day, aurors from MACUSA had come down to visit."

"What did they want?"

"They wanted my help in tracking down a fugitive. I have taken time to decide. If I accept, I will officially be a bounty hunter for MACUSA."

"You must be kidding me. Why would MACUSA want that?"

"I was surprised as well. Their reasoning was that I am battle hardy and can think like the criminals who have escaped the law. It's their way of saying, we let you into our land. Its time you repay that trust."

"As if. They never trusted you. Your travel restrictions initially are proof of that."

"But you have to admit. It's a good opportunity. I can clear my name a bit more by helping out. Also, Siri handles all my expenses right now. Its time I started being independent. I had always wanted to be independent when I was young."

"If that is what you want, go for it. As the future Lord of House Black, I want you to know that the entire family will stand by you."

"That's sweet of you, Harry. Your words make me feel I am doing the right thing. So shall I accept the offer then?"

"Since when does Bellatrix Black require somebody's permission to do things? Go for it. I am happy for you, aunt Bella."

"I will floo call them later."

"Alright, aunt Bella. I will call you tomorrow as decided. I still need to call Padfoot and Dora. See you later and 'All the Best'."

"Thank you, Harry. You take care of yourself. And don't worry about Dumbledore. He will regret the day he decided to take on us Blacks."

Dora was next on his list. He hoped she was free at the moment. He had called out her name, and hardly a moment later his sister appeared on the mirror. She was sporting aquamarine hair today, but otherwise looked like their mother when she had been younger.

Dora was a metamorphmagi and she liked her ability. She loved changing her looks and was a favorite at party events for her skills. Children loved her impersonations of various animals. She preferred a bold, tomboyish, biker girl kind of look on her normal days. Extremely talented at magic, she had her father's penchant for transfiguration and enchanting, but was pants at Potions and Herbology. Also, she was kind of a klutz, always involved in accidents. But it never held her back. She was one of the most highly rated students at Ilvermony and was being scouted by various organizations. All she wanted to do was, take over the reins of Marauders Inc and watch it grow to unparalleled heights.

What people didn't know was that Harry was also a metamorphmagus. But he liked to keep his skill hidden. When he had been younger, he found it extremely difficult to morph, only being able to morph some features like his hair color, length etc. But, after his seventh birthday, things had gotten way easier. Harry still shuddered remembering the events of his seventh birthday, when they had visited the Apache Indian settlement. Nevertheless, his magic had grown in leaps and bounds after that (of which he had a lot of difficulty to control). Plus, having Dora to teach him about his skills had been a great help. It was like a secret weapon to him. Something to get lost in the crowds, when needed.

"What's up, little brother?"

"Nothing much, Sis. Just wanted to talk to you about some things."

"Oh. Somebody seems to be missing me."

"I am not missing you. In fact, for the first time, I am not being smothered by you. I am free."

"Alright then, I will ask Mom and Dad to cancel their Christmas trip then. Wouldn't want you getting smothered even more."

"I will kill you the next time I see you, if you do anything of that sort."

"Why don't you just accept the fact that you are missing all of us?"

"Do you want to keep arguing or do you want to listen to why I called you?"

"Oh ya. Tell me, what happened that my dearest brother has come to his sister for assistance?"

"I will ignore that jibe for the time being. So, did you guys also get the rules and regulations for the tournament?"

"Yes, they were posted to the notice boards yesterday. Why do you ask?"

"Since you would be entering for sure, I just wanted to know who you would choose for a coach?"

"I have two names in my head. Either Padfoot or Aunt Bella. Do you have some suggestions?"

"I would go with Bella, if I were you. I am going to make Padfoot very busy over the next year or so."

"And what is he going to be busy with?"

"Just waging a political war against Malfoy and Dumbledore in the Wizengamot."

"You know Padfoot never liked going to those meetings. Why would you want him do that?"

"Because it's necessary. You wouldn't believe the state of affairs here. It's downright pathetic. You know who teaches History of Magic here? A bloody ghost."

"That's actually cool, if you ask me."

"It would be, if the ghost actually taught you anything. I slept in my first History class; can you believe it?"

"I get it, okay. But how will Padfoot help?"

"He will push some laws, which will make it mandatory for the education system to be reviewed periodically. Dumbledore has made a mess of things in magical Britain."

"Hmmm, three years until you become Lord Black, and you have already sprouted horns. Remember what Uncle Ben said, 'With Great power, comes Great responsibility'. Don't rush into things."

"Of course, you had to quote Spider-Man. I will keep that in mind. So go for Bella as mentor. You will have fun, and will learn scores of things. I actually feel envious."

"Your loss. Bad that the tournament isn't happening in your final year. If you behave like a good boy and request the authorities, maybe, just maybe they will hold it three years later as well."

"Fat chance of that, I would rather die than kneel in front of Dumbledore."

"Your loss. I have a study group coming over. I need to get ready for that. Also, need to prepare your room for them."

"Don't you dare touch anything in my room. Remember what happened the last time you did that."

"You got lucky last time. See you later, dearest brother."

"Wait."

But she was already gone. Harry was fuming. He knew she was just riling him up. And he couldn't do anything about it. Not while he was stuck 3000 miles away from her. Soon his anger turned into a smile. He missed these moments and he couldn't help smile remembering all the good times the siblings had had. He had one last person to reach out to.

"Padfoot"

"Prongs Junior, what a surprise. And here I was thinking that somebody had forgotten me altogether."

"Very funny. We just spoke yesterday."

"Did we, I don't seem to recall."

"Stop fooling around. Otherwise, I will tell Aunt Bella all about that thing."

"Ok Ok. So, what happened?"

"Snape tried to give me trouble during Potions. I scared the shit out of him which got me called to Dumbledore's office. Let's just say that you would have killed both of them if you had been here."

"I would prefer some more detail, you know."

"And you will get it. When you come and take me out of Hogwarts tomorrow. I have a plan to derail Dumbledore's plans and we need to discuss it in person."

"Hmmm, tempting offer. Do you want me to book a room at the Three broomsticks?"

"And risk someone hearing the plan? No, we will head to the muggle cities. Maybe we can visit Manchester and visit Dad's house. "

"Ok. I will be there at ten then. Be ready."

"I will be. Thank you for taking this seriously and for accepting my request at such short notice. And no, I don't want to hear a 'Sirius' joke right now."

"You don't understand comedy, Harry. You need to loosen up a bit."

"And you need to grow up and start acting like the Regent of House Black."

"As your command, my future Lord. See you tomorrow, My Lord."

And the mirror went blank.

The day had been eventful. The notice about the tournament, the chat with Flitwick, confrontation in the headmaster's room and the scuffle with Snape prior to that. Not to forget the talk with his aunt, sister and uncle. There was one other thing pending to be done. Something which had been planned a few days ago. He was meeting Luna, Dennis and Daphne in an abandoned classroom. The case of the missing muggle-born student had irked Harry. He wanted to dig deeper and had to start somewhere.

He lifted the charms on his bed, and left the room, heading towards the common room to wait for Luna, before they started on their journey to unearth the truth.

-End of Chapter-

AN: Some of you might feel that Harry was non-confrontational in this chapter. And he wasn't. I have already established in the story that Harry feels himself wronged by both Dumbledore and Snape. Then why did he not put out his feelings?

Reasons are: Many authors have already done that and i didn't want to follow a similar route. Secondly, as I have mentioned, i want to avoid bashing as much as possible. Thirdly, Harry was kind of testing the waters. He is new to the surroundings and doesn't want to end up doing something rash so early.

Hope you guys liked the Goblet of Fire tournament format. I know i might have stretched it a bit with the number of teams and the number of events. In my defense, i want it to be the Olympics of the magical world, but more adventurous and daring. I have some ideas planned out. If you have ideas, you can leave a comment or PM me. I will surely think about it and implement it with due credit mentioned.

Did you like the Harry-Bella, Harry-Dora conversation?

As always, if you have any issues, please leave a comment. Thank you for the support. Love you guys. Until next chapter.