Chapter 22

"The Hogwarts champion," said Dumbledore, "is…

"Ewan Potter!"

Silence. Murmurs throughout the Great Hall broke out. Harry, Hermione, Ron, Fred, Ginny, and George were all looking at Ewan. But Ewan was too nervous to move.

"Ewan Potter." Called Dumbledore again look at the Raveclaw table. Ewan took a deep breath, then stood up slowly. Roger jaw dropped. "You're Ewan Potter, like the Ewan Potter! Why didn't you tell me?" he said loudly. The whole Great Halls eyes were on him.

"Mr. Potter, or should I say, your adopted name, Mr. Tyler? asked Dumbledore, with the twinkle in his eyes.

"Potter's fine, sir." Ewan mumbled. Going to the door where the others had entered.

"Hey." He said to Fluer.

"Ewan! You ze 'Ogwarts Champion!"

"Yeah." He said. 'Damn it! Stupid Ronald.'

"You don't sound happy about zat." said Krum, with his heavy accent.

"Still shocked, didn't think I would be picked. But it is a great honor…"

Suddenly the door opened. Professor Dumbledore, Professor Karakaroff, Madam Maxime, Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman all came in.

"Congratulation's you three!" said Mr. Bagman.

"Yes, yes, but listen closely, you're first task," said Mr. Crouch, "is designed to test your daring, 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-forth, 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 champion 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 demand and the time-consuming nature of the tournament, the champions are exempted from end-of-year tests."

'And that was the easy part…' Ewan though sullenly. 'One good thing about this, I'll no longer be bored…'

Mr. Crouch then turned to Dumbledore. "I think that's all, Albus?"

"I think so." He agreed. "Are you sure you wouldn't like to stay at Hogwarts tonight, Barty?"

"No, Dumbledore I must get back to the Ministry, I left young Weatherby in charge.… Very enthusiastic… a little overenthusiastic, if truth be told…."

"You'll come and have a drink before you go, at least?"

"No, no thank you." said Mr. Crouch.

"Professor Karkaroff – Madam Maxime – a nightcap?" Dumbledore asked, but Madam Maxime had already started leaving with Fleur and Karkaroff followed soon after.

"Ewan, a word please?" said Professor Dumbledore. "I'm very proud of you. I know your parents would be proud also. This year will be tough for you, but you'll always find help. Now off to bed. I'm sure Ravenclaw 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." Ewan smiled.

"Yes, sir." He said leaving the room. The hall was deserted, quiet. How he liked it. As he made his way to the Ravenclaw tower, his brain was working overdrive.

'Am I good enough to be champion? I mean obviously if the Goblet chose me… I have to be happy about this, for Ravenclaw, for Hogwarts, for my family, this is an honor…'

The bronze- knocker had just started asking the question, when the door swung open. It was like the Quidditch World Cup all over again. Everyone was jumping up and down excited, applauding, screaming, and whistling. Ewan couldn't help but enjoy the party, even Professor Flitwick showed up to celebrate for an hour. Once that hour was over he told everyone to go to bed, especially Ewan.

Sunday morning was much like last night, with one exception; all of Hogwarts was clapping or whistling. Never before has the whole school banded together to celebrate one person, even some Slytherin's, who kept coming to Ewan saying good ways to curse the other champions, few Slytherin's didn't even acknowledge Ewan, 'Probably due to me being a Potter.'. It was hard for Ewan, however. He had to keep dodging people everywhere he went even to the bathroom. He started using the prefect's bathroom for the first time.

Classes were the only time he was able to focus. The students were all trying to do their work, that or the teachers were trying to keep everything normal in the classroom. Potions and Transfiguration were the best to avoid the champion fame, charms was the worst; his own head of house was always hovering around him. Even girls were all over him.

He never thought himself handsome but when he asked Katie about it in the library she said: "Light red hair, bright emerald eyes, smooth skin…" Ewan looked at her with a scowl, "What? You're cute!"

"Cute?" he said frowning.

"Okay, handsome. You're tall, muscled… I can understand where the girls are coming from."

"Well, I'm already taken." He said loudly for the girls next to him to hear.

"You are? Who?" asked Katie.

"You!"

"Good I was making sure you remembered me. You know being famous and all…"

"I was famous before, remember?" he said. "I don't want fame."

"See, you're sensitive also, that is very cute." She said, laughing.

"Katie!"

"Fine, but it is cool that your famous, you have something to brag about."

"I always had something to brag about."

"Yeah, but that was a secret."

"No, not that. I'm going out with the most beautiful fifth year in all Hogwarts."

"Stop brown-nosing."

"I was being serious! You can't let me have my fun, can you?"

"Shut up and do your homework."

"Yes, ma'am."

After five minutes, first year Ravenclaw Stewart Ackerly ran into the library going straight to Ewan.

"Ewan!" said the boy breathlessly.

"Hey, Stewie, take a breath, there."

"You're wanted! I'm supposed to take you."

"Alright, I'll be seeing you later Katie…"

"Is that a promise?" she asked.

"That's a promise." He told her smiling, and then turned to Stewie. "Off we go Stewie."

Ewan followed Stewart to the ground floor to an unused classroom. "Bye!"

Ewan entered the classroom. Krum was in the corner looking moody, Fleur was looking around the classroom, Mr. Bagman was also there speaking to a man with a camera.

"Ah. Our Hogwarts Champion. Mr. Potter. We are about to commence the wand weighing ceremony."

"Oh aright…"

"We are going to weigh your wands and make sure they are fully functional, most important tool in the competition, your wands. This is Rita Skeeter, she's doing a small piece on the tournament for the Daily Prophet. Rita this is Ewan Potter."

"Ewan Potter? Out in the open I see."

"Yeah, so this wand weighing thing."

"Your parents and brother must be proud. Perhaps an interview?"

"No, thank you."

"No? Don't you want to talk to your fans? What about all those people who mourned you're loss, don't you wish to talk to them?"

"I didn't know I had any fans, still no, I don't want to give an interview."

Just then Professor Dumbledore, Professor Karkaroff, Madam Maxime, Mr. Crouch, and Mr. Ollivander came into the room.

"May I introduce Mr. Ollivander, he will be checking your wand's to ensure that they are in good condition before the tournament." said Dumbledore.

Ollivander smiled at the three. "Mademoiselle Delacour, could we have you first, please?" said Mr. Ollivander. "Hmmm… 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."

"Yes, I never used veela hair myself, of course. I find it makes rather temperamental wands… however, to each his own, and if this suits you…Orchideous" he said making a bouquet of flowers burst from Fleur's wand.

"Very well, very well, it's in fine working order, Mr. Krum, you next. Hmmm, this a Gregorovitch creation, unless I'm much mistaken? A fine wand-maker, though the styling is never quite what I…however… yes… hornbeam and dragon heartstring? Rather thicker than one usually sees…quite rigid…ten and a quarter inches…Avis" Then the wand shot like gun, and a number of birds flew out.

Ewan had to shoo one away from his robes. "Good, this leaves Mr. Potter. One of my creations: …nine and half inches… flexible… made of yew with a phoenix feather, the same phoenix as your brothers wand, if I might add… it is an excellent condition… did you polish it recently?"

"Two days ago…" he said, blushing.

"Excellent." He said making smoke circles burst from the tip of his wand. After he was handed his wand back, they started taking pictures. Rita Skeeter got her wish and interviewed him, against his will.

Thankfully, the interview lasted for exactly 5 minutes when Headmaster Dumbledore dragged Ewan away for dinner.

* * *

Two weeks had past; Ewan was finally able to use the bathroom without being pestered by people. The night before the first task, Ron came to get Ewan but he wouldn't say what about.

"Come on…" Ron said pushing Ewan towards the forest.

"If we get in trouble I'm going to kill you…"

"We won't." Ron led Ewan to Hagrid.

"What's going-" he was saying before he got cut off by a sound of a loud roaring noise. "What the bloody hell was that?"

"That, Ewan, is a Dragon."

"Dragon!? What are- wait- oh no you have to be joking! Dragons are the first task!? Does Viktor or Fleur know?"

"Oh yeah, Karkaroff and Madam Maxime were here not too long ago…" answered Ron.

'Dragons… the death toll is going to be going higher now!'

The next morning, the twenty-forth of November, Ewan sat barely touching is breakfast when Teetle, his family owl flew towards him. Taking the letter from the owl he read the letter, it was from Sirius:

Ewan,

Good luck today, everyone at home is cheering for you. We know you'll done great. I know James and Lily would be proud, if Jon and Lara are anything like them, then they would be going crazy with excitement. Lara was upset at first; she was very worried that you would get hurt. Of course, Jon and I are all excited. I subscribed to the Daily Prophet to hear more information. I may even be able to see you soon. We all know that you will be very busy but don't forget to write to us. Or at least have Harry write us on how you are doing.

Sirius

When he entered the tent at the start of the first task, Mr. Bagman was there waiting with Fleur and Viktor.

"Well, now that we're all here, When the audience has assembled, I'm going to be offering each of you this bag from which you will each select a small model of the thing you're about to face! There are different – er- varieties, you see. And I have to tell you something else too… ah, yes… your task is to collect the golden egg!"

'Golden egg?' Suddenly there was the noise of hundreds of feet passing the tent, many were talking.

"Ladies first" said Mr. Bagman offering the bag to Fleur. Fleur pulled out a model of the Swedish Short-Snout with a number two around its neck. Bagman then offered the bag to Krum, who pulled out a model of the Chinese fireball with the number three. That left Ewan with number one and a model of the Welsh Green.

At the start of the whistle, Ewan walked out to the enclosure facing the blue-gray dragon.

The crowd cheered, Ewan pulled his wand out. The dragon came to him really fast. He blasted a stunning spell right between the eyes's of the dragon, it confused it for a second, giving Ewan time to transfigured some rocks into a pair of lions. Ewan made a run for the elusive golden egg. The Dragon was swinging his tail at the lions, which only got more aggregated. Deciding, that he needed another item to help he called: "Accio Firebolt!" A few minutes later, after avoiding an angry dragon and two peeved lions he finally jumped on his Firebolt, after flying circles around the Dragon and confusing it was a confundus charm, he was able to grab the egg. He cradled the egg to his chest. Dragon keepers rushed out to get the angry beast, Professor McGonagall turned the lions back into rocks.

Professors McGonagall and Flitwick came to his side.

"Mr. Potter, that was good. How are you feeling?" asked Flitwick

"I can't believe I'm alive." He said sickly.

"Oh you did very well only a few scratches I see… now, now go get checked by Madam Pompfrey." said Professor McGonagall.

After getting checked out by Madam Pomfrey, he went out to see his scores. Madam Maxime gave him an eight, Mr. Crouch gave him a nine, next Dumbledore who gave a nine also, Mr. Bagman gave him a ten, then Karkaroff who gave him a six.

'Forty-two out of fifty! Oh my god!' he thought re-entering the champion's tent.

After a half hour both Krum and Fleur were back. Ewan was leading by two points, Krum in second, and Fleur in third. Mr. Bagman then walked in.

"Well done, all of you! Now, just a few quick words. You've got a nice long break before the second task, which will take place at half past nine on the morning of February the twenty-forth – but we're giving you something to think about in the meantime! If you look down at those golden eggs you're holding, you'll see that they open… see the hinges there? You need to solve the clue inside the egg – because it will tell you what the second task is, and enable you to prepare for it! All clear? Sure? Well, off you go, then!"