Thanks to those who've reviewed, thing are progressing well. the Darth Veneficus trilogy is completed, and nearly finished in the final editing process, whereupon I will commence the editing of books 6 and 7 for Age of Magic. once those are complete, this story will shift to a more frequent posting schedule, and I will commence a new piece of writing, codenamed Project: Raven's Flight. many good things for the near future! ~F
Chapter Six
The Hogwarts Champions
As the next day was Saturday, most students would normally have breakfasted late. Harry, Ron, Faykan and Hermione; however, were not alone in rising much earlier than they usually did on weekends.
When they went down into the entrance hall, they saw about twenty people milling around it, some of them eating toast, all examining the Goblet of Fire. It had been placed in the center of the hall on the stool that normally bore the Sorting Hat. A thin golden line had been traced on the floor, forming a circle ten feet around it in every direction.
"Anyone put their name in yet?" Ron asked a third year girl eagerly.
"All the Durmstrang lot," she replied. "But I haven't seen anyone from Hogwarts yet."
"Bet some of them put it in last night after we'd all gone to bed," said Harry. "I would've if it had been me... wouldn't have wanted everyone watching. What if the goblet just gobbed you right back out again?"
Someone laughed behind them. Turning, he saw Fred, George, and Lee Jordan hurrying down the staircase, all three of them looking extremely excited.
"Done it," Fred said in a triumphant whisper to the four fourth years. "Just taken it."
"What?" said Ron.
"The Aging Potion, dung brains," said Fred.
"One drop each," said George, rubbing his hands together with glee. "We only need to be a few months older."
"We're going to split the thousand Galleons between the three of us if one of us wins," said Lee, grinning broadly.
"I'm not sure this is going to work, you know," said Hermione warningly. "I'm sure Dumbledore will have thought of this."
Fred, George, and Lee ignored her. Harry felt that he knew what was going to happen.
"Ready?" Fred said to the other two, quivering with excitement. "C'mon, then… I'll go first…"
Harry watched, fascinated, as Fred pulled a slip of parchment out of his pocket bearing the words Fred Weasley, Hogwarts. Fred walked right up to the edge of the line and stood there, rocking on his toes like a diver preparing for a fifty foot drop. Then, with the eyes of every person in the entrance hall upon him, he took a great breath and stepped over the line.
For a split second Harry thought it had worked, George certainly thought so, for he let out a yell of triumph and leapt after Fred, but next moment, there was a loud sizzling sound, and both twins were hurled out of the golden circle as though they had been thrown by an invisible shot putter. They landed painfully, ten feet away on the cold stone floor, and to add insult to injury, there was a loud popping noise, and both of them sprouted identical long white beards.
The entrance hall rang with laughter. Even Fred and George joined in, once they had gotten to their feet and taken a good look at each other's beards.
"I did warn you," said a deep, amused voice, and everyone turned to see Professor Dumbledore coming out of the Great Hall. He surveyed Fred and George, his eyes twinkling. "I suggest you both go up to Madam Pomfrey. She is already tending to Miss Fawcett, of Ravenclaw, and Mr. Summers, of Hufflepuff, both of whom decided to age themselves up a little too. Though I must say, neither of their beards is anything like as fine as yours."
Harry, Ron and Hermione watched the twins set off up the stairs for the Hospital Wing, and still chortling, went in to breakfast. Harry turned to comment to Faykan, but saw that his best friend was glaring at Dumbledore's retreating back with such anger that Harry was surprised that the Headmaster didn't ignite on the spot.
"What's wrong?" he asked quietly, not wanting to attract too much attention to Faykan's mood.
"Everything…" Faykan said, but refused to elaborate, turning to stare angrily at the Goblet of Fire. Hermione and Ron were already heading to the Great Hall, and Harry turned to follow then, catching only the barest whisper from Faykan as the other boy turned to follow. "Tampering with a thing of power so wantonly… it's no wonder they all are failing…"
The live bats weren't the only things flying about the Great Hall this morning; rumors were circulating about who had entered to be the Hogwarts champion. The three main contenders seemed to be Warrington from Slytherin, Cedric Diggory of Hufflepuff, and Angelina Johnson for Gryffindor.
"Well, I'm glad someone from Gryffindor's entering," said Hermione as they were finishing their bowls of porridge.
"Yeah, better Angelina than Pretty-Boy Diggory," said Seamus Finnigan, causing several nearby Hufflepuffs to scowl as they passed.
~~Sina tea kirma : This is a line break~~
Draco caught up to the Gryffindors after breakfast as they left the Great Hall.
"What're we going to do today, then?" Ron was asking as they paused in the entrance hall.
"Well, I was thinking it was time for you all to try the Patronus charm," Faykan said, strangely moody. Despite this strange change of demeanor in their close friend, Draco couldn't help but beam; this was something he had been looking forward to.
"Excellent!" Hermione said, clapping her hands together, and they all made their way up to the Room of Requirement.
They only made it to the marble staircase when the front doors creaked open. They all turned back to see the students from Beauxbatons enter from the grounds. Those people gathered around the Goblet of Fire stood back to let them pass, watching eagerly. Madame Maxime entered the hall behind her students and organized them into a line.
One by one, the Beauxbatons students stepped across the Age Line and dropped their slips of parchment into the blue-white flames. As each name entered the fire, it turned briefly red and emitted sparks. One girl with silvery blond hair looked up at them after she dropped her name into the goblet. Draco felt something tug at his mind and threw his shield up quickly, but Ron wasn't so lucky.
He was staring, openmouthed at the girl as she rejoined her Headmistress, and didn't snap out of his trance until Harry laughed at his stupefied expression. "She's a Veela!" he said horsey. Hermione scoffed, but Draco noticed that many other boys had their heads turn toward the silver haired girl, so Ron might have been partially correct.
When all the Beauxbatons students had submitted their names, Madame Maxime led them back out of the hall and out onto the grounds again.
"What an insult to their history…" Faykan commented cryptically to himself as they continued their journey up to the Room of Requirement. Draco looked at Harry in concern, but the other Gryffindor merely shook his head, at just as much a loss as Draco was.
Upon entering, Draco heard the soothing sounds of a bubbling cauldron and turned to see one of Faykan's house elves stirring the potion Faykan had been slaving over for the last two months. The contents were a soft turquoise, and emitted a light vapor that was funneled away by the house elf's magic.
Hermione looked scathingly at Faykan after spotting the house elf, and Faykan raised his eyebrows at her, daring her to challenge him on house elf rights. Thankfully, Hermione's desire to learn a new spell gave her the strength to keep quiet about house elves, and they were able to start immediately.
Faykan began by warming them all up with their usual retinues of dueling, transfiguration, wandless magic, and healing training. Then he cleared everything away from the center area and spaced Draco, Hermione and Ron in the middle, facing both himself and Harry.
"All right, the incantation for the Patronus charm is, expecto patronum, but the real power behind the spell must come from yourself. You need to concentrate on a very power, very happy memory for the spell's best protection. If you'd care to demonstrate Harry..."
Harry smiled, then waved his wand, "Expecto patronum!" he cried, and a shining, silver stag erupted from his wand, and cantered around them all in wide circles. Hermione gasped in awe, while Ron whooped. Draco was also impressed, but restrained himself from such Gryffindorish acts as cheering.
"Thank you Harry." Faykan said as the stag Patronus dispersed. "Now I want each of you to find your happiest memories. Let it fill you up, bask in the light it gives you, and attempt the charm."
Draco thought hard. What made him happiest? There were many things in his past that made him happy, but none were nearly what Faykan had described at the same level as what Faykan described.
Digging deeper, Draco remembered the summer of last year, and the looks that young Ginny Weasley had sneaked at him during their trip to Diagon Alley. Draco had seen her several times this year, but hadn't really gotten to speak to her. The feelings he had felt were strange, like a soft burning in his stomach when their eyes met briefly. But were they truly happy thoughts? Draco decided to at least try and see if they were powerful enough.
"Ready?" Faykan asked after several minutes. They all nodded, and Faykan gestured at Hermione.
"Expecto patronum…" she said, flicking her wand out. Several tiny silvery wisps of smoke emerged from her wand, and faded immediately.
"Good attempt Hermione, but the memory you selected wasn't powerful enough though. Ron, you're next."
Ron raised his wand, "Expecto patronum!" silvery smoke gushed out of his wand, and after several seconds of Ron screwing his eyes in concentration, an animal leapt form from the mist. A small dog bounded across the floor, dancing around their legs with its tongue lolling wildly. Ron opened his eyes to look, and it vanished. "Aww, I didn't see it," he moaned.
"Wicked!" Harry exclaimed, while Faykan beamed at him, "It was a dog Ron, you just need to work on keeping the memory at the front of your mind, and it'll remain longer, really great job for a first try."
Faykan turned to Draco, and nodded. Draco drew a deep breath, focused on Ginny and said, "Expecto patronum…" long silver smoke strand poured out of his wand, but no animal emerged. After several moments, Draco lowered his wand, allowing the vapors to disperse. "Good, Draco; a strong memory, but not quite strong enough to form a corporeal Patronus."
Faykan kept them all at it for hours, while Harry assisted him. By the time Faykan called for them to stop, Hermione had achieved an animal Patronus as well: an otter. She could send it soaring around the air as if it was swimming in as river of wind.
Draco; however, was frustrated. He hadn't been able to make more than silver mist. Before he left to change for the feast, Harry pulled Draco aside to reassure him, "Don't fret Draco, I couldn't make an animal for a long time last year, you'll get it eventually." This lifted Draco's spirits slightly. Harry was the most powerful of them, and it had taken him most of a year to produce his stag.
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Albus took his time eating during the Halloween feast, relishing the air of impatient expectation wafting from the students. Albus drug it out as long as he could, savoring the final calm before the inevitable storm that was about to strike when the champions were selected. Finally, he could wait no longer, and all noise died away as he stood.
"Well, the goblet is almost ready to make its decision," he said. "I estimate that it requires one more minute. Now, when the champions' names are called, I would ask them please to come up to the top of the Hall, walk along the staff table, and go through into the next chamber," he indicated the door behind the staff table, "where they will be receiving their first instructions."
Albus then took out his wand and gave a great sweeping wave with it; at once, all the candles except those inside the carved pumpkins were extinguished, plunging them all into a state of semidarkness. The Goblet of Fire now shone more brightly than anything in the whole Hall, the sparkling bright, blue whiteness of the flames almost painful on the eyes. Everyone watched, waiting...
The flames inside the goblet turned suddenly red again. Sparks began to fly from it. Next moment, a tongue of flame shot into the air, a charred piece of parchment fluttered out of it, the whole room gasped.
Albus caught the piece of parchment and held it at arm's length, so that he could read it by the light of the flames, which had turned back to blue white.
"The champion for Durmstrang," he read, in a strong, clear voice, "will be Viktor Krum."
A storm of applause and cheering swept the Hall. Krum rose from the Slytherin table and slouched up past where Albus stood, turned right, walked along the staff table, and disappeared through the door into the next chamber.
"Bravo, Viktor!" boomed Karkaroff, so loudly that everyone could hear him, even over all the applause, "Knew you had it in you!"
The clapping and chatting died down quickly. Now everyone's attention was focused again on the goblet, which, seconds later, turned red once more. A second piece of parchment shot out of it, propelled by the flames.
"The champion for Beauxbatons," Albus read, "is Fleur Delacour!" another storm of applause sounded. When Miss Delacour too had vanished into the side chamber, silence fell again, but this time it was a silence so stiff with excitement you could almost taste it. The Hogwarts champion next... And the Goblet of Fire turned red once more; sparks showered out of it; the tongue of flame shot high into the air, and from its tip Albus pulled the third piece of parchment. Albus smiled as he saw the name written on it.
"The Hogwarts champion," he read, "is Faykan Undol!"
"WHAT!" Silence filled the Hall, everyone turning to look at Undol, who stood, his eyes flashing in anger, staring right at Albus. Albus could feel the boy's magic rising off him in waves, but he simply smiled, beckoning for the boy to approach.
"He's a cheat! He's not even seventeen yet!" several students called as the boy staggered toward the Head table, his fists clenched in suppressed fury
"Excellent!" Dumbledore called indifferently as at last the tumult died down, masking his joy with concern. "Well… we now have our three champions, even if one is underage. I am sure I can count upon all of you, including the remaining students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, to give your champions every ounce of support you can muster. By cheering your champion on, you will contribute in a very real…"
But Albus noticed the Goblet of fire turn red a fourth time. He widened his eyes in shock. A long flame shot suddenly into the air, and borne upon it was another piece of parchment. Unable to believe this was happening, Albus reached out a long hand and seized the parchment. He held it out and stared at the name written upon it. 'No…' he thought in despair, it couldn't be, he had planned so carefully for this to not happen.
"Harry Potter." He called in a shaky voice.
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Severus followed Minerva, Albus and the rest of the Triwizard officials into the trophy room, his mind spinning with possibilities. How could Undol have gotten past the Headmaster's age line? His thoughts were disturbed when Albus opened the trophy room door to the sounds of miniature explosions.
Undol seemed to be, of all things, throwing a fit. He was roaring at the top of his lungs, while glass and metal went flying in all directions, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOUR NAME CAME OUT OF THE GRAIL TOO?!"
Severus widened his eyes when he saw the full extend of the destruction. Krum and Miss Delacour were huddled by the fireplace, while Undol faced Harry in the center of what looked like the aftermath of a hurricane. All the glass cabinets were shattered, their contents scattered across the entire room in various stages of damage. Even still he did not miss the odd title that Undol had given the Goblet of Fire… the Grail, it was certainly an odd thing to misconstrued. The Goblet of Fire was an ancient magical object, yes, but not nearly old or powerful enough to be that magnificent object of great power and lore.
"Mr. Undol please calm yourself!" Minerva chided as they approached. The boy merely glared at them all in return, power wafting off him in waves and the rest of the cabinets starting to shudder.
"Madame Maxime!" said Miss Delacour as she spotted her headmistress. "is zis true? Are we to compete wiz zese little boyz?"
"What is ze meaning of zis, Dumbly-dorr?" she said imperiously. "I'd rather like to know that myself, Dumbledore," said Karkaroff. He was wearing a steely smile, and his blue eyes were like chips of ice. "Two Hogwarts champions? I don't remember anyone telling me the host school is allowed two champions, or have I not read the rules carefully enough?" He gave a short and nasty laugh.
"C'est impossible," said Madame Maxime, whose enormous hand with its many superb opals was now resting upon Fleur's shoulder. "Ogwarts cannot 'ave two champions. It is most injust."
"We were under the impression that your Age Line would keep out younger contestants, Dumbledore," said Karkaroff, his steely smile still in place, though his eyes were colder than ever. "Otherwise, we would, of course, have brought along a wider selection of candidates from our own schools."
"WE ARE NOT COMPETING!" Undol yelled, catching them all by surprise, as another cabinet shattered at the force of his anger. Potter was shaking slightly, obviously confused as to what had happened to land them in the tournament.
Albus ignored Undol, but chose to question Potter, "Did you put your name into the Goblet of Fire, Harry?" he asked calmly.
"No," said Potter.
"Did you ask an older student to put it into the Goblet of Fire for you?" said Professor Dumbledore persistently.
"No," the boy replied vehemently.
"Ah, but of course 'e is lying!" cried Madame Maxime.
"He could not have crossed the Age Line," said Professor McGonagall sharply. "I am sure we are all agreed on that…"
"Dumbly-dorr must 'ave made a mistake wiz ze line," said Madame Maxime, shrugging.
"It is possible, of course," said Dumbledore politely.
"Dumbledore, you know perfectly well you did not make a mistake!" said Professor McGonagall angrily. "Really, what nonsense! Neither of these boys could not have crossed the line themselves, and as Professor Dumbledore believes that Potter did not persuade an older student to do it for him, I'm sure that should be good enough for everybody else!"
"IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW OUR NAMES GOT IN, I REFUSE TO PARTICIPATE, OR TO ALLOW HARRY TO EITHER!" Undol bellowed, his voice started to make even the castle floor quake with the magical force behind it. There was no doubt in anyone's mind as to why that boy had been chosen.
"Unfortunately," Severus piped up suddenly, "What you do or do not wish is not of importance at this juncture, so please BE QUIET!" Severus shouted back, shocking the boy into silence. A glass cup on the shelf behind Severus exploded, however, but no one paid any heed.
"Mr. Crouch... Mr. Bagman," said Karkaroff, his voice unctuous once more, "you are our, err… objective judges. Surely you will agree that this is most irregular?"
Bagman wiped his round, boyish face with his handkerchief and looked at Mr. Crouch, who was standing outside the circle of the firelight, his face half hidden in shadow. He looked slightly eerie, the half darkness making him look much older, giving him an almost skull-like appearance. When he spoke, however, it was in his usual curt voice.
"We must follow the rules, and the rules state clearly that those people whose names come out of the Goblet of Fire are bound to compete in the tournament."
"Well, Barty knows the rule book back to front," said Bagman, beaming and turning back to Karkaroff and Madame Maxime, as though the matter was now closed.
"You mean…" Undol said in a small voice, his anger melting into agitated fear, "That even though neither of us entered our names, we have to compete anyway, even if we do not wish to?"
Severus felt a small pang of sympathy for the boy. Undol had never been one for showing off in class, much like Severus himself, but now someone had thrust him forcefully into this dangerous, and very public, setting.
Karkaroff continued to rage and bluster at Albus about Hogwarts having two champions, finally threatening to leave immediately.
"Empty threat, Karkaroff," growled a voice from near the door. "You can't leave your champion now. He's got to compete. They've all got to compete. Binding magical contract, like Dumbledore said… convenient, eh?"
Moody had just entered the room. He limped toward the fire, and with every right step he took, there was a loud clunk.
"Convenient?" said Karkaroff. "I'm afraid I don't understand you, Moody."
Severus rolled his eyes mentally, Karkaroff was never very bright, hence his being captured so easily at the end of the first war.
"Don't you?" said Moody quietly. "It's very simple, Karkaroff. Someone put these boys' names in that goblet knowing they'd have to compete if it came out."
"Evidently, someone 'oo wished to give 'Ogwarts two bites at ze apple!" said Madame Maxime.
"I quite agree, Madame Maxime," said Karkaroff, bowing to her. "I shall be lodging complaints with the Ministry of Magic and the International Confederation of Wizards…"
"If anyone's got reason to complain, it's these two," growled Moody pointing at Undol and Potter, "and Mr. Undol is making more than enough noise for the pair of them, not that anyone's listening."
"Why should 'e complain?" burst out Miss Delacour, stamping her foot. "E 'as ze chance to compete, 'asn't 'e? We 'ave all been 'oping to be chosen for weeks and weeks! Ze honor for our schools! A thousand Galleons in prize money, zis is a chance many would die for!"
"Maybe someone's hoping one or both of them are going to die for it," said Moody, with the merest trace of a growl.
"How this situation arose, we do not know," said Dumbledore, speaking to everyone gathered in the room. "It seems to me, however, that we have no choice but to accept it. Both Faykan and Harry have been chosen to compete in the Tournament. This, therefore, they will do...
"Ah, but Dumbly-dorr -"
"My dear Madame Maxime, if you have an alternative, I would be delighted to hear it."
Dumbledore waited, but Madame Maxime did not speak, she merely glared. She wasn't the only one either. Snape looked furious; Karkaroff livid; Bagman, however, looked rather excited.
"Well, shall we crack on, then?" he said, rubbing his hands together and smiling around the room. "Got to give our champions their instructions, haven't we? Barty, want to do the honors?"
Mr. Crouch seemed to come out of a deep reverie.
"Yes," he said, "instructions. Yes... the first task..."
"The first task is designed to test your daring," he told Potter, Undol, Miss Delecour, and Krum, "so we are not going to be telling you what it is. Courage in the face of the unknown is an important quality in a wizard... very important. "The first task will take place on November the twenty fourth, in front of the other students and the panel of judges.
"The champions are not permitted to ask for or accept help of any kind from their teachers to complete the tasks in the tournament. The champions will face the first challenge armed only with their wands. They will receive information about the second task when the first is over. Owing to the demanding and time consuming nature of the tournament, the champions are exempted from end-of-year tests."
Mr. Crouch turned to look at Dumbledore. "I think that's all, is it, Albus?"
"I think so," the Headmaster replied.
Severus stalked away, mildly worried about the two fourteen year olds. Naturally, if Undol's track record was anything to go by, he would keep Potter safe, but still… Undol had asked to speak with Severus on occasion, didn't he? Perhaps Severus could change his mind, graciously, and help nudge the two boys in the right direction to keep them both alive through this ordeal. Not because he cared for the boys, naturally, but to honor the memories of his two best friends now long dead.
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"Harry, Faykan, I suggest you go up to bed," said Dumbledore, smiling at both of them. "I am sure all of Gryffindor house is waiting to celebrate with you, and it would be a shame to deprive them of this excellent excuse to make a great deal of mess and noise."
Harry nodded, and glanced at Faykan, who was glaring bitterly at Dumbledore. Harry tugged his arm, and they left together.
The Great Hall was deserted now; the candles had burned low, giving the jagged smiles of the pumpkins an eerie, flickering quality.
Faykan was scowling the entire way up the marble staircase, muttering angrily under his breath. "Fay?" Harry said quietly, worried. Faykan didn't respond, wrapped in his brooding. No one seemed to believe that neither of them had put themselves up for the tournament. Faykan had made it clear that he had no desire for such things. Had Harry? Yes, he'd thought about it... he'd fantasized about it... but it had been a joke, really, an idle sort of dream... he'd never really, seriously considered entering.
But someone else had considered it... someone else had wanted both him and Faykan in the tournament, and had made sure they were entered. Why? To give them a treat? He didn't think so, somehow...
To see them be made fools of? Well, they were likely to get their wish…
But to get them killed?
Was Moody just being his usual paranoid self? Couldn't someone have put Harry's or Faykan's names in the goblet as a trick, a practical joke? Did anyone really want either of them dead?
Harry was able to answer that at once. Yes, someone wanted him dead; someone had wanted him dead ever since he had been a year old... Lord Voldemort. But that raised even more questions, like who then put Faykan's name in? And how had Voldemort managed to ensure that Harry's name got in the Goblet of Fire?
Harry got a shock to find him and Faykan facing the Fat Lady already. He had barely noticed where his feet were carrying him. It was also a surprise to see that she was not alone in her frame.
"Well, well, well," said the Fat Lady, "Violet's just told me everything. Who's just been chosen as school champions, then?"
"Balderdash," said Harry dully.
"It most certainly isn't!" said the pale witch indignantly.
"No, no, Vi, it's the password," said the Fat Lady soothingly, and she swung forward on her hinges to let them into the common room.
The blast of noise that met Harry's ears when the portrait opened almost knocked him and Faykan backward. Next thing he knew, they were both being wrenched inside the common room by about a dozen pairs of hands, and were facing the whole of Gryffindor House, all of whom were screaming, applauding, and whistling.
"You should've told us you'd both entered!" bellowed Fred; he looked half annoyed, half deeply impressed.
"How did you do it without getting beards? Brilliant!" roared George.
"We didn't," Harry said. "I don't know how…"
But Angelina had now swooped down upon them; "Oh if it couldn't be me, at least it's a pair of Gryffindors…"
"How'd you manage to both get in?" asked Katie Bell, another of the Gryffindor Chasers.
"We've got food, come and have some…"
Nobody wanted to hear that they weren't hungry; nobody wanted to hear that they hadn't put their names in the goblet; not one single person seemed to have noticed that Faykan was ready to explode again in anger... Lee Jordan had unearthed a pair of Gryffindor banners from somewhere, and he insisted on draping them around Harry and Faykan like cloaks.
They couldn't get away; whenever Harry tried to sidle over to the staircase up to the dormitories, the crowd around him closed ranks, forcing another butterbeer on him, stuffing crisps and peanuts into his hands... Everyone wanted to know how they had done it, how they had tricked Dumbledore's Age Line and managed to get both their names to emerge from goblet...
"We didn't," he said, over and over again, "I don't know how it happened."
But for all the notice anyone took, he might just as well not have answered at all.
"ENOUGH!" Faykan bellowed finally, after nearly half an hour. "LEAVE US ALONE!" the windows, butterbeer bottles, and nearly everything made of glass in the room exploded, showering everyone in shards. Faykan seized Harry's wrist and stormed to the dormitory, knocking the Creevey brothers aside as they attempted to waylay them at the foot of the stairs.
Everyone was too terrified at the display of magic to follow, so Harry and Faykan reached the dormitory unaccosted. Harry spotted Ron on his bed as Faykan slammed the door behind them.
"Where've you been?" Harry said.
"Oh hello," said Ron.
He was grinning, but it was a very odd, strained sort of grin. Harry suddenly became aware that he was still wearing the scarlet Gryffindor banner that Lee had tied around him. He hastened to take it off, but it was knotted very tightly. Ron lay on the bed without moving, watching Harry struggle to remove it. Faykan torn the banner around him off quickly and then assisted Harry in freeing himself from the other.
"So," Ron said, when they had finally removed the banners and thrown them into a corner. "Congratulations."
"What d'you mean, congratulations?" said Harry, staring at Ron. There was definitely something wrong with the way Ron was smiling: It was more like a grimace.
"Well... no one else got across the Age Line," said Ron. "Not even Fred and George. What did you use? The Invisibility Cloak? Your animagus form?"
"The Invisibility Cloak wouldn't have got me over that line," said Harry slowly. "Neither would being an animal."
"Oh right," said Ron. "I thought you might've told me if it was the cloak... because it would've covered both of us, wouldn't it? But you found another way, did you?"
"Listen," said Faykan, struggling to contain his anger, "We didn't put our names in the Grail. Someone else did it."
Ron raised his eyebrows. "What would they do that for?"
"Let's think Ron," Faykan said sarcastically, "Why was the tournament called off for so long? Hmm?"
Ron's eyebrows rose so high that they were in danger of disappearing into his hair. But it seemed that he hadn't listened to what Faykan had said.
"It's okay, you know, you can tell me the truth," he said. "If you don't want everyone else to know, that's fine. But I don't know why you're bothering to lie, you didn't get into trouble for it, did you? That friend of the Fat Lady's, that Violet, she's already told us Dumbledore's letting you both enter. A thousand Galleons prize money, eh? And you don't have to do end-of-year tests either..."
"We didn't put our names in that goblet!" said Harry, starting to feel angry.
"Yeah, okay," said Ron, in exactly the same skeptical tone as Madam Maxime. "Only you said this morning you'd have done it last night, and no one would've seen you... I'm not stupid, you know."
"You're doing a really good impression of it," Faykan snapped.
"Yeah?" said Ron, and there was no trace of a grin, forced or otherwise, on his face now. "You want to get to bed. I expect you'll need to be up early tomorrow for a photo-call or something."
And he wrenched the hangings shut around his four-poster, leaving them standing there by the door, staring at the dark red velvet curtains, now hiding one of the few people Harry had been sure would believe them.
Potential Spoilers Ahead, You Have Been Warned!
So, no one likely was surprised that Faykan was chosen, nor that most of the aftermath happened without actually deterring from canon, but let's be honest. half the people associated with Hogwarts want the two boys in the tournament, and no amount of power can stop the supposed "binding magical contract." Still, notice some of the small details?a certain chalice of some meaningful significance much?