AN: You guys are great! Seriously, I didn't think I would have so much interest after being gone for so long, but here you are. Thanks to the following reviewers: IWantColoredRain, Shadow315, aprilgirl01, Guest, Ari989, Noxy the Proxy, TroyWeb, Yung Warrior, Fibinaci, Lisa Boon, madnessdownunder2, DarkSorceressofLight, Iwa Shinju, ILoveGeorgeEads, Guest, Noble Korhedron, elmoryakhan, Lady Sabine of Macayhill, MuggleCreator, Quathis, Tellur, Macadamia, Hayden-Strife, ElsaElphieGinny, and urs-v.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter franchise.
"Well, I've done it."
Neville looked up from his bowl of porridge in surprise. "You mean you entered?" He accidentally dribbled a bit of porridge on his pants, sending him scrambling for a napkin to wipe it up.
Angelina nodded happily, eyes shining with excitement. "With any luck, you'll be looking at the next Hogwarts champion." She had dressed up for the occasion, with her hair pulled back and wearing large, silver hoop earrings that nearly brushed her shoulders.
"Luck has nothing to do with it," Lee said, sliding into the seat next to her. "You'll be chosen because you're the best one available." Lee and Angelina had patched things up recently, though Neville couldn't help but notice that their interactions were awfully stilted. They frequently complimented each other, to the point where George had jokingly asked if they had something to tell him.
"It would be wonderful to have a Gryffindor champion," Katie mused, buttering her toast thoughtfully.
"Wish we were old enough," Cormac muttered wistfully from his spot on her left. "Imagine winning the Triwizard Tournament! Everyone would know your name."
"I hope you get it, Angelina." Parvati leaned forward with her hands clasped in her lap. "I think you'd do absolutely amazing!"
Halloween had arrived, and with it came the promise of discovering who the Goblet of Fire had chosen. Neville found himself swept up in the excitement and eagerly awaiting that night's festivities. The Triwizard Tournament sounded terrifying but rewarding. Neville couldn't care less about the prize money, but the possibility of eternal fame and glory was almost too good to resist. Secretly, he knew that even if he were of age, the goblet wouldn't choose him. He wasn't all that sure he would want it to, either. He wasn't particularly adept at magic, after all; not to mention how easily he got frightened. He'd probably freeze in terror at the first task.
"Are you alright, Neville? You look upset." He jerked his head up and found Romilda gazing at him steadily. Her dark eyes were filled with concern as she sat down in the seat to his right. It had taken him a long time to learn how to decipher her emotions, but he liked to think he'd gotten pretty good at it. Romilda often tried to hide her feelings, though he wasn't quite sure why.
"Oh, yeah, I'm fine," He told her belatedly, realizing that he'd paused for a moment too long. His face flushed ever so slightly. "Are you excited for tonight?"
She shrugged noncommittally and tossed her hair over her shoulder. "I suppose. Although," She lowered her voice and leaned in closer, "I don't quite see what all the fuss is about."
He grinned at her. That was such a Romilda thing to say! He'd often wondered how she could be so indifferent to things. Romilda rarely let anything faze her. She was always focused on her goals, with little time to consider anything else. "Well, at least you must like how everything's changed around here," He pointed out.
"I'll say!" Seamus declared, dropping into the seat on the other side of Neville and throwing his arm around the latter's shoulders. "I never knew Trelawney could actually teach when she wasn't completely pissed!"
"What I can't understand is why they haven't gotten rid of those Blast-Ended Skrewts," Lavender confided, keeping a close eye out for Hagrid. "They're just so disgusting. I can't see them making a good impression on the other schools."
"Snape's gotten better, at least," Dean chimed in, sitting next to Seamus. His tie shifted ever so slightly to the side, and Neville caught a glimpse of a streak of green paint underneath. "He didn't even say one word to you last time, Neville."
Neville nodded cheerfully. He'd accidentally stirred his potion three times counterclockwise instead of clockwise, but Hermione had managed to save it at the last minute. Snape had shot the pair of them a dour look but stayed silent. Neville turned to discuss this new development with Romilda, only to find that she'd vacated her seat. Now Hermione sat there instead, calmly thumbing through a large book. Upon seeing her, Neville was reminded of something.
"Um, Hermione?" He waited until she glanced up to continue. "I lost my SPEW badge. I was just wondering if I could have another…" He dug around in his pocket for five sickles when Hermione suddenly held up a hand and smiled.
"Don't worry about it, Neville. Alicia taught me this charm that will enlarge the badges so that I can fit the original acronym on there. I'm going to fix everyone's badges one by one. It's not the most efficient of plans, but it'll do for now. Here, I made a few already." She dug around in her satchel for a moment before extracting a shiny new badge with the letters SOAOFMCCTLS. "Try not to lose this one alright?" She said kindly before losing herself in her book once more.
Harry hurried towards them, slightly out of breath. "Have any of you seen Ron this morning? I've been looking all around the castle for him so we can eat breakfast."
"He was up before we were, mate." Seamus shook his head, gesturing to Dean as well. "What about you, Neville?"
Neville felt his eyes grow wide. "Nope. Parvati?" He asked hopefully.
"I was one of the first ones in the Great Hall, and I haven't seen him." Parvati tugged at the collar of her shirt nervously. "Maybe you could try Ginny?" She suggested in a soothing tone.
Harry grimaced slightly, shifting his weight. "I guess."
Dean shrugged on his robe. "Want one of us to come with you so you're not swarmed by your fan club?" He teased lightly, already gathering up his watercolors.
As if on cue, Ginny hesitantly stepped near them. "Excuse me, but has anyone seen Ron lately?" A stack of parchment was folded under her arm. Neville angled his head to try and read them, but her elbow covered the main headline.
"I have!" An excited voice piped up.
Neville's head swiveled around to find little Dennis Creevey waving his hand erratically. He beamed up at Ginny adoringly, eyes gleaming. "I just came in from visiting the Giant Squid, and he was out there by the lake. He said he wanted to be alone," Dennis added, trembling ever so slightly.
Harry frowned, sitting next to Hermione. "I guess I'll see him later," He muttered dejectedly.
Ginny huffed loudly and turned on her heel. Neville could just barely hear her whisper, "There's one brother down."
Percy,
Just so you know, you made Mum cry by not showing up to Sunday dinner. Dad, Bill, and Charlie wrote me about it. You've been acting like a prick lately. Just because you have a job doesn't mean you can go off and ignore the rest of us, you git. I'm already busy enough looking after Ron and the twins. I don't have time for another stupid brother.
(Unfortunately) Your sister,
Ginny
P.S. I hope Mum sends you a Howler.
"Oh, this is so exciting! How does my hair look? Is it alright?" Lavender's hands fluttered anxiously above her head as she crossed and uncrossed her legs.
"Who cares?" Seamus snapped from his spot next to Harry. "You're not going to be one of the champions. No one's going to be looking at you." Seamus' knee jumped up and down in anticipation. Lavender turned away from him and began to sulk.
All day, Harry had been waiting for Ron to come back to the castle, but even after he'd consulted the Marauders' Map (which Remus had thoughtfully snuck into his trunk before he'd left for school) a few dozen times, Ron had remained by the lake. Harry hadn't wanted to be a bother, so he stuck to the Common Room and chatted with the others. Everyone was excited over the prospect of a Gryffindor champion. The topic of Ron had been carefully skirted around, as they wondered what could possibly keep him away from his friends on what might as well have been the most exciting day of the year. Harry had caught Ron slip into the Hall a minute earlier, but instead of taking his usual seat between Harry and Seamus, he squeezed in next to Dennis Creevey, who promptly began chattering away at him.
Viktor Krum walked by with two other Durmstrang boys on either side of him. They moved to the Slytherin table quickly, heavy furs obscuring much of their faces.
"Bloody Krum." Seamus glared. "I hate that guy."
"What happened to you admitting that Krum's a great player, even if he did go up against Ireland?" Dean balanced a sketchbook on his lap, open to a half-finished drawing of the Goblet of Fire.
"He caught the snitch." Seamus fiddled with the shamrock pin on his tie. "Lynch was supposed to catch the snitch, not stupid Krum!" His voice rose slightly at the end of his sentence. A Durmstrang student cast an angry glance in their direction.
Hermione snapped her book shut with a dull clump and turned to admonish him. "Seamus, he might be able to hear you! Besides, it's just Quidditch. Ireland won anyway."
Seamus muttered something about "the principle of the thing" while Dean grinned in resigned agreement.
A hush suddenly swept through the room. Harry turned to find Professor McGonagall getting to her feet. The Goblet sat directly in front of her chair. "Attention, students," She called needlessly. "In a few moments, the Goblet of Fire will make its decision. However, I would like to take this time to remind you all of the purpose behind the Tournament." She paused to adjust her spectacles.
"We all take part to promote a sense of unity and cooperation, as well as foster a healthy learning environment. It is my deepest wish that every student here learns more about magic and culture, so that we may further our progress in international relations. I can only hope that each champion's healthy competitive spirit doesn't prevent them from acting honorably, and that the Tournament itself represents a chance to better ourselves and our schools." Professor Karkaroff's lip curled in distaste, but Harry noticed that Maxime, Crouch, and Bagman all nodded thoughtfully.
A gasp resounded through the hall as the flames of the goblet turned red. Sparks began to shoot out, and Harry's heart threatened to pound right out of his chest. McGonagall approached the side of the Goblet and waited patiently. With no warning, a charred bit of parchment flew up and into her outstretched hand.
"The champion from Durmstrang," McGonagall read impassively, pausing to allow the suspense to build, "is Viktor Krum."
A cheer rose up in the Hall. Seamus grumbled wordlessly and folded his arms across his chest, but he seemed to be the only unhappy one. Harry craned his neck around for a look at Ron, and caught his friend wearing a small smile. Krum heaved himself to his feet and shuffled away, looking awkward but pleased.
When at last the applause had tapered off, another bit of parchment emerged. The Hall held its breath once more as McGonagall unfolded the invaluable nugget of gold. "The Beauxbatons champion," She proclaimed, pausing for a second time, "Fleur Delacour."
A girl with a long sheet of silvery-blonde hair stood up at the Ravenclaw table, as the other students around her grew disgruntled at their own misfortune. She strode forward purposefully, with her hair streaming out behind her. After she pulled the door shut, Harry sat up straighter in his seat. Now came the moment all of the Gryffindors had been waiting for. Further down the table, Angelina grabbed George's arm tightly. Lee, Harry noted, was surveying the Hufflepuff table with a resentful air. Then he plastered on a fake smile and said something encouraging to Angelina.
"The Hogwarts champion," McGonagall spoke, her voice little more than a whisper, "is…Mr. Cedric Diggory!"
The collective groan of disappointment from the Gryffindors was almost enough to counter the cheers of the Hufflepuffs. Diggory jumped up from the table and flicked his hair out of his eyes, laughing jovially. He had to extricate himself from his throng of admirers, but when he at last reached the head table, McGonagall gave him a rare smile and ushered him to the side room. Professor Burbage had apparently caught the Gryffindors' displeasure, and she made her feelings known by frowning heavily at them. Guiltily, the lions quieted. Angelina's lips had thinned drastically, and she did not clap for Diggory. Harry swiveled around just in time to spy Ron's scowl. It seemed that McGonagall was just about to dismiss them when the Goblet glowed for a fourth time.
"What the…?" Seamus leaned forward.
Another tiny scrap of parchment came out. McGonagall's eyebrows flew up into her hairline. She held the parchment, but her eyes slid past the words to gaze directly at the Gryffindor table. There was a long, uncomfortable silence as McGonagall searched the table for someone in particular. Harry's stomach jumped up to his throat when she locked eyes with him.
"Harry Potter."
True, Sirius had stopped acting like a hermit. He stayed out of his room for most of the day, and he started opening up about Lily and James every once in a while. He'd finally started getting used to Charity being around, going so far as to give her a nickname. But the sudden switch from invalid to a perfectly normal functioning member of society was more than a little suspicious. Then, of course, was the disturbing news Harry had divulged to Remus shortly before leaving for Hogwarts. Come to think of it, he never had gotten around to discussing it with Sirius…
Realistically, Remus knew he was stalling. He just didn't know what to say to Sirius. As the days flew by, it became more and more clear that his friend needed some serious help. Sirius, on the other hand, insisted he was fine. But what could Remus do? Sirius was a legal adult. He'd quickly been pronounced mostly sane upon being declared innocent (the healer from St. Mungo's had claimed that was "all one could hope for" after a twelve year stint in Azkaban), which meant there was no chance others would find him in the wrong frame of mind.
On top of it all, Remus didn't have the money to get him any help. As soon as he'd gotten his first paycheck from his job at the bookstore, he began paying Sirius rent. Padfoot, of course, stubbornly refused the money, but he'd eventually given in after Remus threatened to move. He had looked uncomfortable, and a little scared, Remus remembered morosely. It seemed Sirius, who had once loudly proclaimed he would happily live alone for the rest of his life, was now terrified of staying in Grimmauld Place without anyone else around.
Remus gritted his teeth and got to his feet. Charity had just Flooed him, but she had to say at the castle to handle some urgent matters with Minerva. It was up to him to break the news. He padded slowly up the stairs, pausing every now and again to collect his thoughts. Try as he might, he couldn't think of a way to sugarcoat things that Sirius wouldn't immediately see through. Looks like I'm just going to have to wing it, he thought wryly.
"Sirius?" He knocked softly on the door. "Are you awake?" Foolishly, he hoped that Sirius was still asleep, as though that would give him an excuse to put this off until tomorrow. Remus wouldn't really have done it, but it was nice to indulge in fantasies every so often.
"Am now," Sirius grumbled, slowly pulling the door open. "Wha's a matter?"
Despite his supposedly exhausted state, Sirius looked alert and concerned. His eyes were bright and nervous, bouncing around the hall with a frenetic pace. His wand was clutched tightly in his hand. Remus wondered if he'd actually gotten any sleep.
"We need to talk," Remus said firmly, ignoring the heavy thud of his heart. Sirius shrugged nonchalantly, opening the door a fraction of an inch wider and slouching over to a chair. Remus saw right through his unaffected act and sighed internally. This is going to be rough.
"Charity just Floo-called me," He began, getting right to the point. "The first thing you need to know is that Harry's safe." For now, he mused guiltily. "So there's no need to fly off the handle and—and storm the castle, or something equally ridiculous, okay?"
"Moony," Sirius stated somberly. "You're scaring me."
Remus pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath. "Right. Sorry about that. Well, you've heard about the tournament, yeah?"
Sirius nodded impatiently, fiddling with some old photos on his desk. "Yeah, there might've been something about it in the Prophet." He stopped with his hand hovering over a photo of James holding a baby Harry.
Remus scrutinized him carefully. Once he'd determined that the other man was not, in fact, being cheeky, he sighed again. "It seems that, instead of only three champions, there are going to be four. And Harry's one of them." There, he told himself. All done. He'd just come right out with it, and now he only had to deal with Sirius' reaction.
"But…but Harry's just a kid," Sirius muttered uncomprehendingly.
Remus winced, preparing for the fallout.
"That tournament's dangerous, and he's just a kid…" Sirius abruptly set a photograph of James down on the desk and stood. "Right. I'll get my cloak, and we'll go down to the Ministry to set some things straight."
"Sirius, what are you talking about?" Remus felt his head spin. Hadn't he made himself clear? There were to be no radical protests!
"I'm talking about getting Harry out of the tournament," He replied tartly, sliding one arm into a heavy wool cloak. He looked half-mad, still wearing his pajamas with his hair sticking up at odd angles. It almost relieved Remus, because now the outside matched the inside. "Fudge still feels bad about Azkaban. He owes me."
Remus jolted back to life, shaking his head. "Sirius, Barty Crouch was there when Harry's name came out of the Goblet. He said—"
"He's been wrong before!" Sirius snapped hotly. He couldn't seem to clasp the cloak, seething in frustration before giving up. He reached for a sandal, disregarding the fact that it was nearly -5 degrees outside.
"But not about this," Remus contradicted softly. A peculiar feeling washed over him, and he no longer felt in control of his actions. He was simply watching the inevitable train wreck, unable and not entirely willing to stop it. This had been a long time coming. "There's nothing you can do, Sirius." That was the wrong thing to say.
"No!" Sirius snapped back, seizing another shoe and tossing it at the wall. "It's Crouch! He's doing this on purpose, you know he is Moony!"
Remus felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. "Sirius, Barty Crouch is an expert on magical law and things of this nature. No matter what problem he has with you—"
"He hates me!" Sirius shouted. "Not just me, the both of us!" He violently tugged at the ends of his hair, breathing strangely and whirling about like a caged animal.
"What do you mean, Sirius?" Remus asked slowly, a chill creeping up the back of his spine.
"Me and James," He gasped out. "You remember, Moony! He hates us. We pulled that prank on him that day at the Ministry, and now he's trying to kill James!" He panted heavily, reaching for the corner of a coffee table and flipping it over. Then he moved onto the chair, and the desk, and the bedside table.
Remus did nothing to stop him, choosing to watch Sirius trash his room until there was nothing left to destroy. The minutes ticked on until, in his rage, Sirius threw the clock on the ground. The voices of the portraits were easily heard through the open doorway. "Shut up!" Sirius roared, slamming the door so hard the house shook. Finally, at ten minutes after twelve (according to Remus' watch), Sirius ran out of steam, slowly coming to a halt.
Once he was certain that his words would be heard, Remus spoke. "Harry isn't James, Sirius." He watched blankly as Sirius slid down to the floor.
"I know," He lied weakly. "I—I know that." Sirius trembled lightly, taking in the room as if for the first time. He reached out to grab a piece of parchment which was covered in Lily's familiar scrawl; clenched it in his fist; turned his head to face away from his fellow Marauder. "Moony," He whispered, barely audible. "I need help."
Reply to anonymous reviews:
Macadamia: I'll be sure to stay away from Divergent, then. Lee's actually probably one of the more difficult characters to write, as I always seem to make him look like the bad guy when he's not supposed to. Thanks for reviewing!
elmoryakhan: Technically, you're not anonymous, but you have PMs turned off, so I'm replying here. Diggory's going to start making a turn around soon, so don't worry about that. The Gryffindors will react next chapter. The computer's running like a dream now, which is nice. Thanks for reviewing!
Guest: I think, in general, it's a bad thing to hit someone so hard that you knock teeth out, and that's why she was so harsh. It doesn't negate all the good stuff she's done, though. Thanks for reviewing!
Lisa Boon: I'm glad you came back to LU. There's more coming soon, so keep an eye out. Thanks for reviewing!
Guest: In this instance, Angelina and Penny are quite concerned that Fred and George inadvertently helped a known murderer get into the castle, so I think they have a bit of a right to be worried. Thanks for reviewing!