The Alexander Chronicles Year 4: The Return of Darkness

by the22nddoctor

Many things have changed in Alexander s life, his mother is in Azkaban and he have learned that he is the son of Sirius Black. This year Alex has to battle both his inner darkness that is growing stronger inside him, and the outside darkness that is returning stronger than ever, not even Hogwarts is safe. Beside that, he have to deal with being a teenager. Have been rewritten.

17. Chapter 17 The Reporter

The Alexander Chronicles Year 4: The Return of Darkness.

Chapter 17: The Reporter

When Alex woke up at Sunday morning, he felt miserable. It took him a few moments to remember why he had that feeling. Then the memories of the previous day flowed through his mind making him sign in frustration. He had briefly hoped that it had been a really bad dream, but it was the reality. He was the Hogwarts champion of the Tri-wizard tournament, well one of them anyway – he was the fourth champion, the one that shouldn´t be. He lay on his back staring at the celling, wondering if he should simply stay where he was. It sure would be easier and tempting, but pointless. Alex signed again as sat up and grabbed his wand and whispered, "Tempus." The time telling spell showed, with green numbers, that it was 08:15.

Alex got op only to see that the dormitory was abandoned. He slowly dressed and went down the spiral staircase into the common room. Alex took his time, delaying the moment he would face his fellow students. He even took the time going to the common room, as he got closer, he could hear loud voices by the sound of it; they were arguing. "I can´t believe you said that to him that." It sounded like Harry, and he sounded a bit angry.

"Come on Harry think about!" Ron´s voice hissed. "We are talking about the slimly snake lover Black. He is just the guy who would use the dark magic to pull this off."

"You heard him at the table – heck you saw his face when Dumbledore said is name. Did he looked like he had tried to enter?"

Ron snorted, "Yeah I also heard him before, I heard him saying how he would love to enter tournament."

"Ron," Harry half yelled. "He was joking. He was trying to be cool."

"Harry mate listen to me," Ron said, "Black is a liar. It is so obvious. Who would want to put his name in the goblet. He is a nobody. If it had been you then yeah I could picture someone trying to force you in the tournament, but not that loser."

"Look just because it doesn´t make sense doesn´t mean that it is Alex´s fault."

"Harry he is manipulating you!"

"Why?" Harry hissed. "Why would he do that?"

"Why I tell you why. Because he is a psychopath! He is messed up –-"

"Stop Ron, just stop!"

"Harry just listen, you are my best friend I and I won´t let you be dragged down with Black." Alex closed his eyes thinking that Harry soon would forgive Ron. Therefore he was surprised by his comment.

"He won´t drag me down Ron. Look Alex is my friend. So just trust me, trust that I can think for myself."

"Think? That just it you doesn´t use your bloody mind about this. Look Black is a bad egg, so please just don´t be so gullible to believe him."

"You know what? Maybe it is you who needs to use your brain!" Harry hissed.

"Excuse me?" Ron huffed.

"You heard me you are being stupid."

"Yeah that is me! Ron Weasley Harry Potter´s stupid friend."

"You are not stupid sorry I am sorry I said that, but just try seeing it from Alex´s side okay. I mean every newspaper will write about him. He needs our help to get through it."

"I bet he loves that he be famous just like you, maybe you just want you share of it."

"What?"

"I didn´t think you would sink so low Harry siding with Black just to get a bit fame, I hope you come to you senses, but until then BYE Harry." With those words, Alex could hear Ron leaving, he then heard Harry giving a frustrated sign and then he left the room too.

Alex took a few deep breaths and continued into the common room; there he was met by both cheering and dark glances. Alex signed and looked around trying to find Hermione or Neville, but they wasn´t there so they were properly down at the Great Hall. Alex signed he didn´t want to go down there, if he did he would properly just be met with more cheering fans and/or glances, and he didn´t really fancy that. First he hated that they treated him as some hero, second he had a feeling that some only was cheering because they were having Gryffindor tri-wizard champion not because they supported him. Alex reached the portrait hole, pushed it open, climbed out of it, and found himself face-to-face with Hermione.

"Good you are awake." Alex just looked at Hermione without saying anything. "Are you hungry," Hermione continued, holding up a stack of toast, which she was carrying in a napkin. "I brought you this. Do want to go for a walk?"

Alex grabbed the toast, "thanks but I uh I need uh I need to be alone."

Hermione nodded and stepped aside, "You know that I believe you didn´t enter your name and I talked with Harry and Neville and they believe it as well."

Alex nodded, "thanks. Look I-I b-be fine o-okay I just need time."

Hermione nodded again and Alex continued downstairs, crossed the entrance hall quickly without looking in at the Great Hall, and was soon striding across the lawn toward the lake, where the Durmstrang ship was moored, reflected blackly in the water. It was a chilly morning, and he kept moving, munching on his toast. He was thinking about how to get through this he had to survive this tournament. Right now it all seemed impossible.

"Alex!" a voice said. The friendly tone made Alex smile a bit. It was a good sign that Daphne would believe him. He looked back and saw that it wasn´t just Daphne, but Tracey and Blaise as well.

The first thing Daphne did was to hug him, "are you okay? We got a shock hearing when you name was announced."

"Yeah you are full of surprises. I didn´t thought that it was possible to trick the age line, but nice job."

As he heard Blaise comment Alex felt as he been stabbed in the heart, that couldn´t be true is best friends had to believe him. "I-I didn´t do it, I didn´t put my name in."

"Okay," Blaise rolled his eyes, "I get that you can´t tell me – it would ruin your secretive nature."

"I didn´t do it." He said giving them all a pleading look. "I swear I didn´t, please believe me!"

"I believe you Alex," Daphne said after having looked at Alex for a few seconds.

"Yeah so do I!" Tracey said elbowing Blaise, "my boyfriend is just joking."

"But what happened? I mean after name came out of the Goblet of fire?" Daphne asked laying her hand on Alex´s shoulder, "I mean after Dumbledore ordered you to the room. The only thing we know is that Dumbledore told us get back to our common room while he figured this out. He didn´t punish you didn´t he?"

"No he believed me," Alex said and begun explaining his friends the whole story; about how he was questioned, what would happen, about Moody´s theory, how the teachers had no idea who had placed his name in the goblet and his housemates reactions. As he told the story Alex felt immense relief that his friends believed him, well two of them anyway – Blaise looked a bit strange. "But why do you believe me?" He just needed to remove all doubt.

"I know you, beside I had a good look on your face after your name had been announced, you couldn´t fake that shock. Beside while you may had bragged about the tournament, but there is no way you would enter just to look good." Alex smiled as Daphne continued, "no that isn´t your style."

Tracey nodded, but Blaise still looked a bit doubtful, but didn´t say anything. Alex didn´t know how to make him believe him, but now he was just glad that Daphne and Tracey believed him. "Thanks Daph!"

"And I agree with Moody. There is no way that you could get your name under a fourth school. I mean you are powerful, but not so much – not yet anyway." Daphne paused. "In fact it has to be an adult, no student has that power."

"Alex could have done it. He could found the right spell and he definitely have the power."

"What?" Alex exclaimed, "I didn´t do it. Look there is a good chance that I end up dead this year. Do you honestly think I am that stupid to put myself in that situation willingly?"

"No, but you are also cocky, and tends jump in without thinking. You could just wanted a chance to prove that you are better everyone here. To prove that you are better than Potter. You are very comparative sometimes."

"Shut up. Why won´t you just listen to me. I didn´t put my name in that bloody cup."

"And why won´t you just tell the truth!"

"I AM TELLING THE TRUTH, SO QUIT BEING AN IDIOT AND BELIVE ME." Alex roared.

"Me an idiot? Look maybe you should be a bit honest with your best friend Alex."

"But I am honest," Alex waving his arms in the air. "grr I give up!" He said kicking the ground.

"Tsk I can´t believe you. It is just so typical."

"What?"

"You are so arrogant."

"Oh so I am arrogant?" Alex said looking at Blaise.

"Yeah you are!" Blaise hissed, "But it not only that; you constantly want to show that you are better than anyone, and you keep lying to us."

"I am not lying Blaise!" Alex hissed.

"Oh but you are never honest Alex. I mean you didn´t told us about us about being Slytherin´s heir nor did you say anything when you leaned Sirius was your father. You always thinks you know better than anyone."

"No I-"

"So what else are you keeping from us?"

Alex thought of the incident with his stepfather, only Daphne knew about that. "No-nothing"

"Tsk you are lying, but at least tell me this. Why did you enter the tournament? Was it because you were sure you would win and wanted to prove that you were so better than the rest of us?"

"I didn´t"

"Fine be that way. I should know that you were an arrogant fool. What can you expect from a stupid Gryffindor?"

Alex opened his mouth to retaliate, but Blaise comment had taking him by surprised. Never had they insulted each other or others because of their houses. So instead, Alex turned around and walked away feeling angry but also hurt, mostly hurt. Blaise stared at him before leaving in the other direction leaving the two Slytherin girls alone, didn´t even had to look at each other before they both hurried after Alex.

"Alex wait up." Tracey called. "I am sorry about Blaise."

Alex stopped up and blinked some tears away, "why doesn´t he just believe me." Surprised that his voice was shacking a bit.

"He does believe you Alex." Daphne said, "I think he is jealous of you."

"He is jealous? Alex said incredulously, "what does he have to be jealous about? Do he really want to make a fool out of himself – do he really want everybody to hate him."

"That isn´t the reason why, he is like that." Tracey said patiently. "It's always you or Potter or Weasley or Granger who gets all the attention, you know it is. I know it's not your faults," she added quickly, seeing Alex open him mouth furiously. "But Blaise wants to go on adventure like that with you. He wants to – to prove himself, prove that he is a good a fighter like you. You never saw how sad he was that you abandoned us like that last year and how happy he was going on that mission with the Ministry with you; he couldn't shut up about it. He wished that he could have helped you freeing your father or that he had gone to the chamber with you, but you did that with the Gryffindors."

Alex looked at the ground, "I never have chosen any of that. It just happens."

"We know Alex." Daphne said, "but Blaise he-"

"He what?" Alex asked bitterly. "He wants to be like me. Tell him from me I'll swap any time he wants. Tell him from me he's welcome to it being the Heir of Slytherin, to have the responsibility to live up to Salazar Slytherin or tell that I be happy if Sirius was his dad instead of mine, but tell him that the glances you get isn´t nice. And would he like to he can have a mother that is in prison not being able to see it again. Tell him how much it sucks to miss a year at Hogwarts."

"You can tell him yourself." Daphne said calmly.

"What? So I should just run after him and beg him to believe me." Alex yelled. "You know what he can come to his senses when my neck is broken, heck maybe it would be the best then the rest of the school would be happy. So that is the answer. I just ha-"

SLAP

Alex´s rant was interrupted as Daphne slapped him. "Don´t you dare say that. Don´t even think that – if you think I am letting you give up like that, then you are an idiot."

Alex looked at Daphne rubbing his cheek, "I uh"

"You think you have a right to give up like that. You didn´t give up when you were sick did you?"

"No I was just uh Sorry okay, it just that well – now I am back to most of the school hating me again."

"Well we don´t hate you, and Neville, Potter and Ganger doesn´t either so man up." Daphne said, "Because if someone wants to hurt you then you need to be ready, and we will help you. So you have to fight this. Just you did before."

Alex smiled a bit. "Nobody messes with our honorary Slytherin and gets away with it." Tracey added.

"One more thing Alexander." Daphne said, "You know what we've got to do, don't you? Straight away, the moment we get back to the castle?"

"Well I could find Ron or Blaise, which ever I run into first, and give them a good kick up the -"

"Write to your father." Daphne said simply, and took some paper from her pockets.

"Why?" Alex said looking around to check that they couldn't be overheard, but the grounds were quite deserted. "He just came to the country because Harry told him about his scar twinging. The only one he cares about is Harry Potter, not about me and why should he?"

"Because you are his son. Trust me I know fathers can be default." Tracey said, "but he needs to know."

"Exactly, and he'd want you to tell him," Daphne said sternly. "He's bound to find out anyway."

"How?"

"Alex, this isn't going to be kept quiet," Daphne said, very seriously. "This tournament's famous, and you're the fourth champion and they're only supposed to be three. I'll be really surprised if there isn't anything in the Daily Prophet about you competing… and Sirius would rather hear it from you, I know he would."

"Okay, fine, I'll write to him." Alex said as threw his last piece of toast into the lake. The three of them stood and watched it floating there for a moment, before a large tentacle rose out of the water and scooped it beneath the surface. Daphne gave him another hug. It helped, and he was feeling a bit less depressed as they returned to the castle.

"Can I use your owl for my letter to Sirius Daphne? Then I use Archimedes to send I letter to my grandfather."

"Sure, but why not use your own?"

"Sirius told me not to use Archimedes all the time." Alex said as they walked into the Owlery. Daphne gave Alex two pieces of parchment, a quill, and a bottle of ink. Then she and Tracey strolled around the long lines of perches, looking for their owls, and to give Alex some private time.

Alex didn´t really had that much to say to Sirius

Dear Padfoot

You asked me to keep you informed if things were strange at Hogwarts. So here goes. You properly know that Hogwarts is hosting the Tri-wizard Tournament. Anyway this year there is a four champions instead of three and the fourth champion is me.

I have no idea how my name ended up in the Goblet of Fire. Now it seems that I have to compete in the tournament.

Alex paused a bit, should say how terrified he was of all this- that he was scarred of dying, that most of the school hated him. Should he ask advice on how to talk with Blaise again? No he couldn´t really put words to his feelings or maybe he just didn´t want to. Beside Sirius wouldn´t really be interested in hearing his problems anyway, so he simply dipped the quill back into the ink bottle and wrote,

Hope you're okay, and I'm fine –

Alexander.

"Okay I am done!" Alex said getting to his feet and brushing straw off his robes, having wrote pretty the same in his letter to his grandfather.

Archimedes fluttered down onto his shoulder and held out his leg. "Well it good that you trust me too buddy," Alex said stocking the owls feathers. "Can you take this to grandpa?"

Archimedes hooted and tried getting the letter to Sirius as well, "sorry bud, but you are too special to go to father each time."

Archimedes hooted and let Alex attached the letters to his wing, then it flew out.

"The boy and the bird. It was love at first sight right?" Daphne said smiling at Alex.

Alex chuckled as he remembered his first meeting with Archimedes. It had been just after he had met Daphne and their mothers had decided to finish their shopping together.

Alex felt Daphne push him. "Sorry, just thought back as the first time you said that."

Tracey chuckled having head the story from the two friends. Daphne smiled. "Yeah I remember." She said making Tracey roll her eyes and give a small chough.

"Right," Daphne said, called for Skye her grey owl; it quickly landed on her shoulder. "So I need you to deliver a letter for Alex." She said and the owl stuck it leg out so Alex could attach the letter. Not long after the two owls flew away, leaving Alex to wonder what would happen next.

Alex hadn´t really thought that matters would improve once everyone got used to the idea of him being a champion, and the following day proved him right, all though he hadn´t thought it be that bad.

He could no longer avoid the rest of the school once he was back at lessons - and it was clear that the rest of the school, just like the Gryffindors, thought Alex had entered himself for the tournament. But unlike the few Gryffindor that actually would cheer for him, or even those who only cheered because he had given them a house champion, the rest of the students wasn´t happy about getting a second Gryffindor champion.

Alex would wish that were the only problem. Now everybody knew that he was from the Black lineage. That led to everybody were whispering about it and simply refusing to sit near him. It was as they all were expecting him to go dark out of nowhere.

If Alex hadn´t his friends he would had gone crazy, about the way he was treated. The Huffepuffs were the worst and their grudge had effected the whole badger/ lion relationship, but it was pretty clear that Alex was the one that they truly had a problem with.

One Herbology lesson was enough to demonstrate this. It was plain that the Hufflepuffs felt that Alex had stolen their champion's glory; a feeling exacerbated. Perhaps, by the fact that Hufflepuff House very rarely got any glory, and that Cedric was one of the few who had ever given them any, having beaten Gryffindor once at Quidditch. Hannah Abott who Alex talked a lot to this year, Ernie Macmillan and Justin Finch Fletchley, with whom Alex normally got on very well, did not talk to him. Even though they were repotting Bouncing Bulbs at the same tray - though they did laugh rather unpleasantly when one of the Bouncing Bulbs wriggled free from Alex´s grip and smacked him hard in the face. In fact Susan was the only badger that wasn´t openly rude towards him, she simply didn´t talk to him. Professor Sprout too acted a bit more cold than usual.

He hadn´t had a chance to catch up with Erik and Mellissa from Ravenclaw so he didn´t know if they would believe him. So now, he kept to Daphne, Tracey, Harry, Neville and Hermione, and despite all Alex was happy that he had them at his side.

Alex would have been looking forward to seeing Hagrid under normal circumstances, but Care of Magical Creatures meant seeing certain Slytherins too – the first time he would come face-to-face with some of them since becoming champion.

Predictably, Nott arrived at Hagrid's cabin with a familiar sneer firmly in place.

"Ah, look, boys, it is our little champion," Nott said to Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle the moment he got within earshot of Alex. "Well the fake one anyway, still I hope you have autograph books, because he end up dead in the first minute of the first task," Nott´s comment made almost everybody laugh even the Gryffindors, Alex clenched his fist, and tried to keep the sadness down. "Or does anyone think he survive two? Or maybe only a half? Come I am taking bets."

Once again, everybody laughed, and Alex stepped away from the crowd where he was joined by his friends. Both Harry and Hermione seemed a bit wary of the two Slytherins girls, but didn´t say anything.

"Don´t listen to that jerk, Alex," Tracey said, "you will get through this."

"Heh heh and look his friends are even lying to him." Nott said loudly, but he had to stop there, because Hagrid emerged from the back of his cabin balancing a teetering tower of crates, each containing a very large Blast-Ended Skrewt. To the class's horror, Hagrid proceeded to explain that the reason the skrewts had been killing one another was an excess of pent-up energy, and that the solution would be for each student to fix a leash on a skrewt and take it for a short walk. The only good thing about this plan was that it distracted Nott completely.

"Take this thing for a walk?" Nott repeated in disgust, staring into one of the boxes. "And where exactly are we supposed to fix the leash? Around the sting, the blasting end, or the sucker?"

"Roun' the middle," said Hagrid, demonstrating. "Er - yeh might want ter put on yer dragon-hide gloves, jus' as an extra precaution, like. Alex - you come here an' help me with this big one…

Alex looked briefly at his friends each of them didn´t look very happy at Hagrid´s idea, but began getting to work regardless. Alex´s eyes met Daphne´s; she looked at him, then at Hagrid then nodded, before giving Alex a small smile and went to help Tracey.

Hagrid's real intention, however, was to talk to Alex away from the rest of the class. He waited until everyone else had set off with their skrewts, then turned to Alex and said, very seriously, "So - yer competin', Alex. In the tournament. School champion."

Alex nodded, "yeah I mean Dumbledore says I have to. Even though I have said to him that I don´t want to, but I don´t think he believes me – what about you?"

"No I believe yeh."

"You do?" Alex asked his voice full of gratitude

"Course I do," Hagrid grunted. "Yeh say it wasn' you, an' I believe yeh - an' Dumbledore believes yer, an' all." There was a small pause. "No idea who put yeh in fer it Alex?"

"Wish I knew who did do it," Alex said bitterly.

The pair of them looked out over the lawn; the class was widely scattered now, and all in great difficulty. The skrewts were now over three feet long, and extremely powerful. No longer shell-less and colorless, they had developed a kind of thick, grayish, shiny armor. They looked like a cross between giant scorpions and elongated crabs - but still without recognisable heads or eyes. They had become immensely strong and very hard to control.

"Look like they're havin' fun, don' they?" Hagrid said happily. Alex assumed he was talking about the skrewts, because his classmates certainly weren't; every now and then, with an alarming bang, one of the skrewts' ends would explode, causing it to shoot forward several yards, and more than one person was being dragged along on their stomach, trying desperately to get back on their feet.

"Ah, I don' know, Alex," Hagrid sighed suddenly, looking back down at him with a worried expression on his face. "School champion… everythin' seems ter happen ter Harry, doesn' it? And yer always helpin' 'im out. But not this time. This time it's you, and not Harry. Gotta be scary, righ'? "

"I- I" Alex paused, thinking about saying that he sometimes wished that it was Harry. He knew it was wrong and he felt very ashamed because of it, therefor he didn´t say anything. "it is." He said instead not looking at his professor.

The next days at Hogwarts were really bad for Alex. Sometimes he wondered if they were the worst, but then again it was sort of similar to how he was treated the first year he got here. There a good part of the school had suspected Harry and him of attacking muggle-born students, before they only began suspecting Alex. Then there had been the thing about his mother´s arrest last year. So it wasn´t like it hadn´t happen before, but Alex was really starting to get sick of it. He was sick of hearing about he would go dark, and about being a fake champion.

It wasn´t like Alex couldn't understand the Hufflepuffs' attitude about him being a champion, even if he didn't like it; they had their own champion to support. He expected nothing less than vicious insults from some of the Slytherins - he was a Gryffindor and there were always a rivalry between Gryffindors and Slytherins. Nevertheless, he had hoped the Ravenclaws might have found it in their hearts to support him as much as Cedric. He was wrong, however. Most Ravenclaws seemed to think that he had been desperate to earn himself some fame by tricking the goblet into accepting his name, thinking him to redeem the Black name. There was only three Ravenclaws, who supported and believed him. Erik had come over to him during Healing lessons, Mellissa Robinson had told him during lunch where she was followed by a strange blonde girl named Luna Lovegood.

Then there was the fact that Cedric looked the part of a champion so much more than he did. Exceptionally handsome, with his straight nose and dark hair, it was hard to say who was receiving more admiration these days, Cedric or Viktor Krum.

Alex actually saw the same sixth-year girls who had been so keen to get Krum's autograph begging Cedric to sign their school bags one lunchtime, those girls hadn´t even locked at him.

Meanwhile there was no reply from Sirius, there had been replies grandfather where he had showed their concern for Alex, and said that Alex should study up on all branches not just dulling spells. Alex´s grandfather had also tried getting the Minister to chancel the tournament, but he hadn´t had any luck.

The stress about the tournament also affected his schoolwork. He had done so badly at Summoning Charms in Professor Flitwick's class that he was given extra homework - the only person to get any, apart from Neville. Even Ron mastered it before him and when he saw how much he was struggling, he just laughed.

"It's really not that difficult, Alex," Hermione tried to reassure him as they left Flitwick's class - she had been making objects zoom across the room to her all lesson, as though she were some sort of weird magnet for board dusters, wastepaper baskets, and lunascopes. "You just weren't concentrating properly -"

"Yeah you can say that again," Alex said darkly as Cedric Diggory walked past, surrounded by a large group of simpering girls, all of whom looked at Alex as though she were a particularly large Blast-Ended Skrewt. He also saw Cedric glance at him. "Heh well at least I have Double Potions this afternoon, Snape just have a way of improving my mood." He added dryly.

Alex hadn´t really minding having Double Potions, but now it was nothing short of torture. Being shut in a dungeon for an hour and a half with Snape and Nott and his gang, all of whom seemed determined to punish Alex as much as possible for daring to become school champion, was about the most unpleasant thing he could imagine. He had already struggled through one Friday's worth, with Daphne sitting next to him intoning "ignore them, ignore them, ignore them" under her breath, and He couldn't see why today should be any better. When Snape insulted Alex´s potion, he was actually right. Alex was doing horrible.

When Alex along with the rest of the Gryffindors arrived at Snape's dungeon after lunch, they found some of the Slytherins waiting outside, most of them wearing a large badge on the front of his or her robes. For one wild moment Alex thought they were S.P.E.W. badges - then he saw that they all bore the same message, in luminous red letters that burnt brightly in the dimly lit underground passage:

SUPPORT CEDRIC DIGGORY—THE REAL HOGWARTS CHAMPION!

"Like them, Black?" Nott said loudly as Alex approached. "And this isn't all they do - look!"

He pressed his badge into his chest, and the message upon it vanished, to be replaced by another one, which glowed green: BLACK STINKS!

The Slytherins howled with laughter, as Blaise, Tracey, and Daphne, without wearing badges, approached wondering what was going on. The other Slytherins pressed their badges too, until the message BLACK STINKS was shining brightly all around Alex. who clenched his teeth and his hands into fists, as he tried to conceal his anger.

"Oh very funny," Hermione said sarcastically to Nott and his gang of Slytherin friends, who were laughing harder than anyone, "really witty."

"Want one, Granger?" said Nott, holding out a badge to Hermione. "Or even you, Longbottom? I've got loads. But don't touch my hand, now. I've just washed it, you see; don't want Mudbloods or Squibs sliming it up."

That insult was the breaking point, all the anger Alex had felt and kept down the following days bust though him as a dam had been opened. He had reached for his wand as he wanted to get it all out, he wanted to go berserk and hurt someone, no he wanted to hurt Nott. People all around them scrambled out of the way, backing down the corridor as if they knew what was coming.

"Alex don´t do this!" Hermione said warningly.

"Go on, then, Black," Nott said quietly, drawing out his own wand. Crabbe and Goyle followed suit. "No one's not here to look after you now- do it, if you've got the guts-"

Alex really wanted to do just that. He looked at Nott, then acted at the same time as Nott.

"Furnunculus!" Alex yelled.

"Densaugeo!" Nott screamed back.

Jets of light shot from both wands, hit each other in midair, and ricocheted off at angles — Alex´s hit Goyle in the face, and Nott's hit Hermione.

Goyle bellowed and put his hands to his nose, where great ugly boils were springing up - Hermione, whimpering in panic, was clutching her mouth.

"Hermione!"

Ron had hurried forward to see what was wrong with her; Alex turned and saw Ron dragging Hermione's hand away from her face, while Harry stood next to them. It wasn't a pretty sight. Hermione's front teeth - already larger than average - were now growing at an alarming rate; she was looking more and more like a beaver as her teeth elongated, past her bottom lip, toward her chin - panic-stricken, she felt them and let out a terrified cry.

"And what is all this noise about?" said a soft, deadly voice.

Snape had arrived. The Slytherins clamoured to give their explanations; Snape pointed a long yellow finger at Malfoy, who had been standing against the wall, and said, "Explain."

"Black and Nott attacked one another, sir -"

"We attacked each other at the same time!" Alex shouted, realizing he said the same thing Malfoy said.

"- and Black's spell hit Goyle - look -" Pansy said.

Snape examined Goyle, whose face now resembled something that would have been at home in a book on poisonous fungi.

"Hospital wing, Goyle," Snape said calmly.

"Nott got Hermione!" Ron said. "Look!"

He forced Hermione to show Snape her teeth - she was doing her best to hide them with her hands, though this was difficult as they had now grown down past her collar. Pansy Parkinson doubled up with silent giggles, pointing at Hermione from behind Snape's back.

Snape looked coldly at Hermione, then said, "I see no difference."

Hermione let out a whimper; her eyes filled with tears, she turned on her heel and ran, ran all the way up the corridor and out of sight.

It was lucky, perhaps, that Alex, Harry, Ron, Tracey, Blaise and Daphne started shouting at Snape at the same time; lucky their voices echoed so much in the stone corridor, for in the confused din, it was impossible for him to hear exactly what they were calling him. He got the gist, however.

"Let's see," he said, in his silkiest voice. "Fifty points from Gryffindor and a detention for Potter, Black, and Weasley. Now get inside, or it'll be a week's worth of detentions."

Alex´s ears were ringing. The injustice he just had witness had given the strongest urge to curse Snape into a thousand slimy pieces. He passed Snape, walked to the back of the dungeon, and slammed his bag down onto the table. And then sat there shaking with anger, He could see that Harry and Weasley were angry too, but Weasley sat with Dean and Seamus, and Harry with Neville. On the other side of the dungeon, Nott turned his back on Snape and pressed his badge, smirking. BLACK STINKS flashed once more across the room. Alex glanced at Malfoy and noticed that he wasn't wearing a badge which was very strange, in fact he too looked a bit angry, but that couldn´t because of what had happened could it?

Alex clenched his firsts again as he looked at Nott, but then felt a hand on his left. It was Daphne, she smiled at him as she sat beside him. It was nice and gave him a feeling of support.

"Antidotes!" said Snape, looking around at them all, his cold black eyes glittering unpleasantly. "You should all have prepared your recipes now. I want you to brew them carefully, and then, we will be selecting someone on whom to test one…"

Snape's eyes met Harry's, and Alex knew what was coming. Snape was going to poison Harry. Alex imagined picking up his cauldron, and sprinting to the front of the class, and bringing it down on Snape's greasy head, causing him pain for the pain he had caused Hermione.

And then a knock on the dungeon door burst in on Alex´s thoughts.

It was Colin Creevey; he edged into the room, beaming at Harry, and walked up to Snape's desk at the front of the room.

"Yes?" said Snape curtly.

"Please, sir, I'm supposed to take Alexander Black upstairs." Snape stared down his hooked nose at Colin, whose smile faded from his eager face.

"Mr. Black has another hour of Potions to complete," said Snape coldly. "He will come upstairs when this class is finished."

Colin went pink.

"Sir - sir, Mr. Bagman wants him," he said nervously. "All the champions have got to go, I think they want to take photographs…"

"Very well, very well," Snape snapped. "Black, leave your things here, I want you back down here later to test your antidote."

"Please, sir - he's got to take his things with him," squeaked Colin. "All the champions…"

"Very well!" said Snape. "Black - take your bag and get out of my sight!"

As Alex got up he felt Daphne giving his hand a squeeze, he smiled at her before he swung his bag over his shoulder, got up, and headed for the door. As he walked through the Slytherin desks, BLACK STINKS flashed at him from every direction, Alex signed and tried to ignore it, but it was hard not to let it get to him.

"It's amazing, isn't it, Alexander?" said Colin, starting to speak the moment Alex had closed the dungeon door behind them. "Isn't it, though? You being champion?"

"Yeah, really amazing," said Alex dryly as they set off toward the steps into the entrance hall, Colin was one of the Gryffindors that supported Alex inside the common room.

"What do they want photos for, Colin?"

"The Daily Prophet, I think!"

"Great," said Alex dully. "Exactly what I need. Publicity. Did they say if it was mandatory?"

"I think it something you have to beside all the other champions are there already."

"Yeah I thought as much." Alex signed again.

"Good luck!" said Colin when they had reached the right room. Alex knocked on the door and entered.

He was in a fairly small classroom; most of the desks had been pushed away to the back of the room, leaving a large space in the middle; three of them, however, had been placed end-to-end in front of the blackboard and covered with a long length of velvet. Five chairs had been set behind the velvet-covered desks, and Ludo Bagman was sitting in one of them, talking to a witch dressed in wearing magenta robes. Alex had never seen before, but he had head of her. It was Rita Skeeter.

Viktor Krum was standing moodily in a corner as usual and not talking to anybody. Cedric and Fleur were in conversation. Fleur looked a good deal happier than Alex had seen her so far; she kept throwing back her head so that her long silvery hair caught the light, that once again made Alex think how pretty she was.

A paunchy man, holding a large black camera that was smoking slightly, was watching Fleur out of the corner of his eye.

Bagman suddenly spotted Alex, got up quickly, and bounded forward.

"Ah, here he is! Champion number four! In you come, Alexander, in you come… nothing to worry about, it's just the wand weighing ceremony, the rest of the judges will be here in a moment -"

"Wand weighing?" Alex repeated nervously, "why?"

"We have to check that your wands are fully functional, no problems, you know, as they're your most important tools in the tasks ahead," said Bagman. "The expert's upstairs now with Dumbledore. And then there's going to be a little photoshoot. This is Rita Skeeter," he added, gesturing toward the witch in magenta robes. "She's doing a small piece on the tournament for the Daily Prophet…"

"Maybe not that small, Ludo," said Rita Skeeter as she looked at Alex.

Rita´s hair was set in elaborate and curiously rigid curls that contrasted oddly with her heavy-jawed face. She wore jewelled spectacles. The thick fingers clutching her crocodile-skin handbag ended in two-inch nails, painted crimson.

"I wonder if I could have a little word with Alexander before we start?" she said to Bagman, but still gazing fixedly at Alex. "The youngest champion, you know… to add a bit of colour?"

"Certainly!" cried Bagman. "That is - if Alexander has no objection?"

"Wait actually -"

"Lovely," Rita Skeeter said interrupting him. In a second, her scarlet-taloned fingers had Alex´s upper arm in a surprisingly strong grip, and she was steering him out of the room again and opening a nearby door.

"We don't want to be in there with all that noise," she said. "Let's see… ah, yes, this is nice and cosy."

It was a broom cupboard. Alex stared at her.

"Come along, dear - that's right - lovely," said Rita Skeeter again, perching herself precariously upon an upturned bucket, pushing Alex down onto a cardboard box, and closing the door, throwing them into darkness. "Let's see now…"

She unsnapped her crocodile-skin handbag and pulled out a handful of candles, which she lit with a wave of her wand lit them and sending them into midair, so that they could see what they were doing.

"You won't mind, Alexander or is it Alex, if I use a Quick-Quotes Quill? It leaves me free to talk to you normally, that I way can really see what makes you tick."

"Er - "

Rita Skeeter's smile widened. Alex counted three gold teeth. She reached again into her crocodile bag and drew out a long acid-green quill and a roll of parchment, which she stretched out between them on a crate of Mrs. Skower's All-Purpose Magical Mess Remover. She put the tip of the green quill into her mouth, sucked it for a moment with apparent relish, and then placed it upright on the parchment, where it stood balanced on its point, quivering slightly.

"I think I will use it," she said. "It makes this whole thing a lot easier. Testing… my name is Rita Skeeter, Daily Prophet reporter."

Alex looked down quickly at the quill. The moment Rita Skeeter had spoken, the green quill had started to scribble, skidding across the parchment:

Attractive blonde Rita Skeeter, forty-three, who's savage quill has punctured many inflated reputations –

"Lovely," said Rita Skeeter, yet again, and she ripped the top piece of parchment off, crumpled it up, and stuffed it into her handbag. Now she leaned toward Alex and said, "So, Alexander or Alex. Hmm I think I stick with Alexander…what made you decide to enter the Tri-wizard Tournament?"

"Uh look-" Alex begun as the quill began writing.

A pair of grey eyes, distant of his present happenings because of his fugitive father and jailed mother. , troubles the mind of Alexander Black -

Alex wondered how it could get all that from a uh, then an idea came to him, he could try getting his side of the story out.

"I didn´t try to enter, someone placed my name in the goblet without me knowing."

Rita Skeeter raised one heavily pencilled eyebrow.

"Come now, Alexander, there's no need to be scared of getting into trouble. We all know you shouldn't really have entered at all. But don't worry about that. Our readers love a rebel. It only natural you know wanting your own frame with you being friends with the boy-who-lived. To prove that you are as good as him."

"What? No that nothing like that. I don´t want fame."

"Hmm then we say that. But tell me how is your relationship with Harry Potter. He is your god brother after all."

Alex shrugged, "it is fine. We are friends."

Rita smiled, "again, it must be nice, but how do he feel about the fact that your father were responsible for his parents' deaths?"

"My father didn´t betray Harry´s parents, both I and Harry knows that, beside Harry is my friend, and he wouldn't care.

"Hmm yes, I think I have a chat with him too, but back to the tournament then," Rita Skeeter said before Alex could say that he doubted Harry would want that. "How do you feel about the tasks ahead?" she contiuned. "Excited? Nervous?"

"Uh I n-never really thought about it." Alex said. His insides squirmed uncomfortably as he spoke. "I am nervous I guess."

"Champions have died in the past, haven't they?" Rita Skeeter said briskly. "Have you thought about that at all?"

"Well… they say it's going to be a lot safer this year," Alex answered, not wanting to talk about his fears. "But I've had lots of danger before so, I think I could handle it!"

"A bit cocky, are we?" Rita said giving a smile.

The quill whizzed across the parchment between them, back and forward as though it were skating.

"Of course, you have looked death in the face before, haven't you?" Rita said, watching him closely. "How would you say that's affected you?"

"Er," Alex said, yet again, "I don´t think."

"Alex would you say that it is because your parents you have entered the tournament."

"Huh?"

"Is it to prove that you isn´t like them, to prove that your are good, a chance to redeem your name." Rita said in a sympatric voice.

"I didn't enter," Alex said, starting to feel irritated.

"Right, but how does it makes you feel that your father is a murderer, and your mother is in sitting in Azkaban for helping a mass murderer escape? All that shame it must be hard thing to bear." Rita said again. "it must be so hard being marked, not be trusted."

"Um," Alex asked.

"How do you think they'd feel if they knew you were competing in the Tri-wizard Tournament? Proud? Worried? Angry?"

Alex was feeling really annoyed now. How on earth was she to know how his parents would feel if they weren´t absent? He could feel Rita Skeeter watching him very intently. Frowning, he avoided her gaze and looked down at words the quill had just written:

Tears fill those startlingly grey eyes as our conversation turns to the parents, one mad with rage, the other losing her happiness and hope to Azkaban guards.

"I don't have tears in my eyes!" Alex said loudly.

Before Rita Skeeter could say a word, the door of the broom cupboard was pulled open. Alex looked around, blinking in the bright light. Albus Dumbledore stood there, looking down at both of them, squashed into the cupboard.

"Dumbledore!" cried Rita, with every appearance of delight - but Alex noticed that her quill and the parchment had suddenly vanished from the box of Magical Mess Remover, and Rita's clawed fingers were hastily snapping shut the clasp of her crocodile-skin bag.

"How are you?" Rita said, standing up and holding out one of her large, mannish hands to Dumbledore. "I hope you saw my piece over the summer about the International Confederation of Wizards' Conference?"

"Enchantingly nasty," said Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling. "I particularly enjoyed your description of me as an obsolete dingbat." Alex raised an eyebrow that was rude.

Rita Skeeter didn't look remotely abashed.

"I was just making the point that some of your ideas are a little old-fashioned, Dumbledore, and that many wizards in the street -"

"I will be delighted to hear the reasoning behind the rudeness, Rita," Dumbledore said, with a courteous bow and a smile, "but I'm afraid we will have to discuss the matter later. The Weighing of the Wands is about to start, and it cannot take place if one of our champions is hidden in a broom cupboard."

Very glad to get away from Rita Skeeter, Alex hurried back into the room. The other champions were now sitting in chairs near the door, and Alex sat down quickly next to Cedric, hooking up at the velvet-covered table, where four of the five judges were now sitting - Professor Karkaroff, Madame Maxime, Mr. Crouch, and Ludo Bagman. Rita Skeeter settled herself down in a corner; Alex saw her slip the parchment out of her bag again, spread it on her knee, suck the end of the Quick-Quotes Quill, and place it once more on the parchment.

"May I introduce Mr. Ollivander?" said Dumbledore, taking his place at the judges' table and talking to the champions. "He will be checking your wands to ensure that they are in good condition before the tournament."

Alex followed Dumbledore´s eyes. There at the window was an old man old wizard with large, pale eyes and long grey hair, standing quietly by the window. Alex was surprised how ordinary the wand maker was and as the same time how mysterious he was. The way he could just blend in the room, he sort of had the same aura as Kez had.

"Yes, I am, so who should we begin with?" Ollivander said clapping his hands together. As nobody answered he smiled, "Well Mademoiselle Delacour lets us begin with you." stepping into the empty space in the middle of the room. "If you could come here please."

Fleur Delacour swept over to Mr. Ollivander and handed him her wand.

"Hmm…" he said.

He twirled the wand between his long fingers like a baton and it emitted a number of pink and gold sparks. Then he held it chose to his eyes and examined it carefully.

"Yes," he said quietly, "nine and a half inches… inflexible… rosewood… and containing… dear me…"

"An 'air from ze 'ead of a veela," said Fleur. "One of my grandmuzzer's."

Alex raised an eyebrow, so Fleur was a veela. Was that why he found her pretty? Because the Veelas had the world cup hadn't affected him, then again he was very controlled if you considered how the some boys acted towards her.

"Yes," Ollivander said, making Alex look up, "yes, I've never used veela hair myself, of course. I find it makes for rather temperamental wands… however, to each his own, and if this suits you…"

Mr. Ollivander ran his fingers along the wand, apparently checking for scratches or bumps; then he muttered, "Orchideous!" and a bunch of flowers burst from the wand tip.

"Heh well no matter the core this wand is in trip top order." Ollivander said, scooping up the flowers and handing them to Fleur with her wand. " So let take a familiar face so Mr. Diggory if you please." Fleur glided back to her seat, smiling at Cedric as he passed her.

"It is always nice to see some of once handiwork; I remember when I sold you this." Mr. Ollivander said, with much more enthusiasm, as Cedric handed over his wand. "Yes, I remember it well. Containing a single hair from the tail of a particularly fine male unicorn… must have been seventeen hands; nearly gored me with his horn after I plucked his tail. Twelve and a quarter inches…ash…pleasantly springy. It's in fine condition… You treat it regularly?"

"Polished it last night," Cedric said grinning.

Alex looked at his wand, it wasn´t polished. He could see finger marks all over it. Not exactly a good impression to give. Therefore he gathered a fistful of robe from his knee and tried to rub it clean surreptitiously. Several gold sparks shot out of the end of it, surprising Alex. Fleur Delacour gave him a very patronizing look, and she desisted. Alex signed, "Nice job Alex, nice impression."

Mr. Ollivander sent a stream of silver smoke rings across the room from the tip of Cedric's wand, pronounced himself satisfied, and then said, "Again a fine wand, then again I made it. Mr. Krum, if you please."

Viktor Krum got up and slouched, round-shouldered and duck-footed, toward Mr. Ollivander. He thrust out his wand and stood scowling, with his hands in the pockets of his robes.

"Hmm," said Mr. Ollivander, "this is a Gregorovitch creation, unless I'm much mistaken? A fine wand-maker, though the styling is never quite what I… however…"

He lifted the wand and examined it minutely, turning it over and over before his eyes.

"Yes… hornbeam and dragon heartstring?" he shot at Krum, who nodded. "Rather thicker than one usually sees… quite rigid… ten and a quarter inches," Krum nodded again. "Impressive - impressive - Avis!"

The hornbeam wand let off a blast hike a gun, and a number of small, twittering birds flew out of the end and through the open window into the watery sunlight.

"Good," said Mr. Ollivander, handing Krum back his wand. "That just leaves the last one – Mr. Black if you please."

Alex got to his feet and walked past Krum to Mr. Ollivander. He handed over his wand.

"Hmm not one of mine – hmm it rare to see a Hogwarts student without an Ollivander wand. May I ask where you bought that?"

"Uh I bought it at Kez´s."

Ollivander frowned, "hmm a one of my competitors." The wand maker seemed a bit annoyed, "well he has different wands, but there are some that liked that."

Alex could feel that everybody was watching him, but he didn´t care he was proud of his wand.

Ollivander began looking at the wand turning it over and over. "Hmm yes yes unyielding I see, and eleven inches. And the wood is-" Ollivander sniffed at the wand "-hmm interesting cypress if I am not mistaking?"

Alex nodded, "Yeah that is right."

"But the core, it is hard to tell, I get a double feeling from this, oh that is strange a double core!"

Alex heard a few people gasp and he nodded. "Yes it is."

Ollivander examined the wand again, "hmm there is a Phoenix father in this, but the other core?"

"The other is Basilisk fang." Alex noticed Ollivander raised an eyebrow.

"Basilisk Fang is a core that is rarely used."

"Yet I have it in mine wand," Alex said in an irritated voice. He was getting sick of this. "The question is if you can approve it."

Ollivander waved the wand, and a nearby chair began to fly. "Yes yes it works more then fine, I dare say that anyone but you would have a hard time getting this to fully work." He said handing Alex´s back to him.

"Thank you all," said Dumbledore, standing up at the judges' table. "You may go back to your lessons now - or perhaps it would be quicker just to go down to dinner, as they are about to end-"

Alex who couldn´t wait to get out the room, got up to leave, but the man with the black camera jumped up and cleared his throat.

"Photos, Dumbledore, photos!" cried Bagman excitedly. "All the judges and champions, what do you think, Rita?"

"Er - yes, let's do those first," said Rita, whose eyes were upon Alex again. "And then perhaps some individual shots."

The photographs took a long time. Madame Maxime cast everyone else into shadow wherever she stood, and the photographer couldn't stand far enough back to get her into the frame; eventually she had to sit while everyone else stood around her. Karkaroff kept twirling his goatee around his finger to give it an extra curl; Krum skulked, half-hidden, at the back of the group. The photographer seemed keenest to get Fleur at the front, but Rita Skeeter kept hurrying forward and dragging Alex into greater prominence. Then she insisted on separate shots of all the champions. At last, they were free to go. Alex went down to dinner. Hermione wasn't there - Alex supposed she was still in the hospital wing having her teeth fixed. Harry and Neville was there however, Alex smiled at them and sat down and began eating with them.

Alex then returned to Gryffindor Tower, thinking of all the extra work on Summoning Charms he had to do. Up in the dormitory, Harry came to him.

"So what is up, did you wand turned out okay?"

Alex nodded, "uh yes it did thanks for asking."

"Good uh right uh you have an owl by the way." Harry then said, pointing at Alex´s pillow. Where Daphne´s owl was sitting and hooting.

"Oh - right," said Alex.

"Uh and uh Snape said that we have dentations with him tomorrow, don´t worry we have to work without Ron."

Alex nodded again some good news at last, then went over and took the letter from Skye.

Alex.

There isn´t much I can say in a letter. We need to talk face-to-face. Can you ensure that you are alone with Harry by the fire in Gryffindor Tower at one o'clock in the morning on the 20th of November?

I know I don´t have to say this, but you need to be careful and watch your back, even if you are around Dumbledore and Moody

I don't think anyone will be able to hurt you. However, someone seems to be having a good try. Entering you in that tournament would have been very risky, especially right under Dumbledore's nose, so there must be a reason for this madness.

But as I said be alert, Alex. I still want to hear about anything unusual. Let me know about the 20th of November as quickly as you can.

Sirius

"What did he say?" Harry asked.

"He wants to met with us." Alex.

"Great I am sure he can help."

"Yeah," Alex said looking in the fire, "I hope so."

Chapter end

A big thanks to those who have reviewed, please continue to do that, it means a lot.

So Daphne believes Alex, but Blaise doesn´t, but hopefully he too will end up believing Alex. I hope you like that Harry stood up for Alex in this chapter, even if it means that he and Ron will have a falling out.

But even if Alex have a lot of friends that will do their best to help him through the tournament, but will their help be enough or will Alex fail.