Chapter 5: Dragons and Death Eaters
"Dragons?" Harry asked in shock. "For real?"
"That's right, mate." Ron confirmed. "That's why my brother Charlie came from Romania. He and some of his colleagues came here to make sure the dragons won't be a danger to anyone other than the Champions."
"The Muggle Prime Minister must have had a fit when he was informed of that." Hermione commented.
"Hermione, what makes you so sure he'd be told about the dragons?" Ron asked.
"Don't you know the law, Ronald?" Hermione asked in exasperation. "It's standard procedure to inform the Muggle Prime Minister whenever dangerous creatures are brought from any foreign nation."
"What for?" Ron asked. "It's not like the Muggle Prime Minister would be expected to do anything about it."
"The law is the law and I'm sure Minister Fudge reassured the Muggle Prime Minister that informing him was just a formality." Hermione explained. "It's not like the Muggle Prime Minister would know where to send people after the dragons."
"Have I mentioned how glad I am for the fact I'm not in this tournament?" Harry asked with a forced smile.
"Yes, Harry." Hermione answered with a confused expression.
"Well, this feeling has just increased tenfold." Harry commented. "Whose idea is this Tournament's revival?"
"My Dad says it's Minister Fudge's." Ron answered.
"That figures." Harry muttered. "Fudge is a politician who's probably more concerned about his popularity than the people's safety just like my parents say most politicians are."
"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed.
"Well, Dad says some actually do a good job but he doesn't expect even them to really care about people." Harry conceded.
Days later, they were at the stands to watch the first task. Sirius Black was with them. "Excited about this, Prongslet?" Sirius asked with a smile.
"Sirius, didn't my parents come as well?" Harry asked while looking around for Vernon and Petunia Dursley.
"Harry, I have nothing against muggles but I don't think they're ready to see real dragons." Sirius commented with a ser… stern tone. "They'd probably wonder why the Weasleys didn't lock up Charlie to keep him safe from the dragons."
"Don't say it, Sirius!" Ron exclaimed in horror. "My parents might like the idea!" The others couldn't tell if Ron was joking or not.
After those comments, they watched the first task, making Harry totally decided not to work with dragons ever. "Did you see those grades?" Ron asked with a hint of disgust. "Karkaroff was obviously favoring Krum." He added and then quickly said. "Not that Krum didn't deserve his high marks. I just think the grades Karkaroff gave Delacour and Diggory were too low."
"I still can't believe they let this Death Eater near children." Sirius commented with a frown. "I think I'm going to scare him." He then approached Igor Karkaroff. "Karkaroff, if I were you, I'd be careful what I drink around here." That comment caught Karkaroff's attention. "After all, Hogwarts' Potions Master is a Death Eater you tried to turn to the authorities."
"I-Impossible." Karkaroff replied it more to himself than to Sirius. "Severus is my friend."
"Who'd be friends with a tattletale?" Sirius asked with a sneer that reminded people that, despite his tendencies, he's still the head of a Dark family.
"He'd never do anything to me in Hogwarts with Dumbledore watching." Karkaroff protested. "He never tried to kill Harry Potter in all those years."
"Do you really expect Dumbledore to care for a supposedly reformed Death Eater as much as he cares for the Boy-Who-Lived?" Sirius was being even scarier at that point. "And besides, Moody himself might poison you and hope people will blame Snivellus. Moody was quite upset the Ministry would let you off after all the trouble he had to capture you. Remember, if he had his way, you and all other captured Death Eaters would have been force-fed Veritaserum."
"You would have been as well." Karkaroff managed to say.
"And I'd be glad to have proven my innocence years earlier." Sirius argued. "Anyway, I have a godson to protect. Good luck trying to live to see who wins the Tournament. You'll need it."
Satisfied with himself for scaring a Death Eater, Sirius rejoined his godson. One week later, everybody was commenting on the fact Headmaster Karkaroff seemed to have picked on Professor Moody's habit of only drinking of his own flask. Secretly, Moody was upset since he intended to spike Karkaroff's drink with Veritaserum to make him confess some crime that had yet to be revealed. Well, there was always Snape. Moody never really trusted the Potions Master to have really seen the error of his Death Eater ways.
End chapter.