Chapter Sixteen: Impossible Circumstances
Heads turned towards the Gryffindor Table focusing solely on Harry who looked shocked and was shaking slightly. Sirius said he would sort this out…what's gone wrong? His eyes zeroed on his godfather who was white with shock.
"Harry Potter, come up here!" Dumbledore called again.
Harry swallowed and noticed Hermione nodding to him to go. Fear coursed through him. Climbing out of his seat Harry walked between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables. Whisperings were beginning and some of the Hufflepuff's were sending him dirty looks. He shivered, wondering if this night would get worse than it already was. Probably, he thought.
As he approached the headmaster, he saw Dumbledore's head twitch to a door beside the staff table. Harry nodded numbly before pacing towards it and walking through the open door, ignoring the many looks of students and teachers alike.
What had gone wrong? He thought numbly, fear running through him.
Sirius followed the headmaster, McGonagall and Snape through the door beside the staff table, his mind whirling with the improbability of it all. How the heck was Harry a Triwizard champion? Surely the cup could only pick three champions…but as he considered it he realised that the Goblet of Fire could have picked a fourth champion because Harry's name had been put under a different school. Why hadn't he considered that before? Why hadn't he used his brain? James used to tell me I didn't think deep enough.
As he walked into the smaller room, Sirius found his Godson who was standing off to the side from the three other champions with a bewildered look on his face. Right at that moment Sirius just wanted to rush over to Harry and give him a hug, but now was not the time. There were more important issues at stake.
"Extraordinary! Absolutely extraordinary! Gentleman, lady, may I introduce - incredible though it may seem - the fourth Triwizard champion!" Ludo Bagman, who had followed Sirius from the Great Hall, said aloud, his face beaming in happiness. Sirius groaned; there was no point in trying to get Harry out of the tournament now, especially since Bagman had just proclaimed he was participating in it.
Sirius trailed his gaze over the three elected champions watching as their expressions changed. Out of the three of them only Victor Krum looked angry by this statement, whereas Cedric looked as if he hardly believed it, however it was Fleur Delacour who made him snap in anger. She tossed her hair, smiling and laughing before boldly stating that it was a joke.
"You really think this is something we could joke about? My Godson has just been chosen to RISK HIS LIFE IN THIS TOURNAMENT! AND YOU THINK THAT IS JOKE? DO YOU SEE US LAUGHING?" Sirius yelled, but before he could continue McGonagall laid a hand on his shoulder and quietly told him to calm down otherwise he would be taken out of the room. His anger evaporated but was still brewing inside, however he kept calm and listened to what was said next.
"Harry's name did come out of the Goblet of Fire," Dumbledore confirmed, fixing each champion with his intense gaze. "It may seem impossible but somehow, someone, submitted Harry's name into the Goblet. He has no choice but to compete."
The doors to the small chamber opened again and Professor Karkaroff and Madame Maxine entered, followed swiftly by the Ministry's temporary head of the Department of Magical Cooperation, Carla Widdows. She had been swiftly put in place by Cornelius Fudge following Bartemius Crouch's sudden death during the summer.
"What is ze meaning of ziz, Dumbly-dorr?" Madam Maxine asked.
"I'd like to know myself," Karkaroff said, fixing his gaze on Harry before facing the headmaster fully. "Two Hogwarts champions? I don't remember anyone telling me that the host school is allowed two champions. Or have I not read the rules carefully enough?" he sneered.
"This is most unjust!" Madam Maxine responded more fiercely.
"We were under the impression that the Age Line would keep out younger contestants," Karkaroff spoke again, his eyes full of malice. "Otherwise, we would have brought along a wider selection of candidates."
"It is no one's fault but Potters," Snape glided into the conversation easily enough. "Don't blame the Headmaster for Potter's determination to break rules. He has been crossing lines ever since he arrived here -"
"SHUT UP SEVERUS!" Sirius shouted out. His face was contorted in anger and the one thing he wanted to do at that moment would surely be frowned upon. Hexing a fellow Professor would certainly not get him anywhere.
Dumbledore held up a hand to silence Snape from responding, but fixed Sirius with a glare. He turned towards Harry and asked: "Did you put your name in the Goblet?"
Sirius felt like responding that Harry couldn't possibly have done that but then he realised it was for the benefit of the others who didn't know about the threat on his Godson's life.
"No, I didn't," replied Harry.
"Did you ask an older student to put it in for you?"
"NO!" Harry said, feeling angrier this time.
"But of course e' is lying!" cried Madame Maxine.
Sirius shook his head. "He wouldn't have crossed the age line."
"Admitting that you are the one who placed your Godson's name into the Goblet then, Black?" Snape asked.
Sirius narrowed his gaze.
"Sirius did not under any circumstance place Harry's name in the Goblet of Fire. Not even he would be so stupid to do that!" replied Dumbledore, standing up for Sirius' defence.
Snape just glared, clearly unable to believe the simple truth.
"Then you must have made a mistake with the age line," suggested Karkaroff.
"It is possible, of course," Dumbledore replied, politely, considering it.
"Dumbledore, you know perfectly well you did not make a mistake! If Harry did not ask an older student to put his name in, and Sirius didn't do it, then someone else will have placed his name in! I'm sure that would be good enough for anyone to believe!" McGonagall replied, her cat-like eyes glaring at everyone in the room.
"Mr. Bagman and Miss. Widdows, you are our judges. Surely you must agree that this cannot be allowed?" pressed Karkaroff.
Bagman traded a glance with Widdows. An unnerving silence followed until finally the newly elected Widdows spoke to the waiting Professors: "The rules are clearly written. Any names that come out of the Goblet of Fire are bound to compete in the Tournament. It is a binding magical contract - no one can breech that. Potter must compete." She looked mournfully at Sirius before she returned her gaze to the Headmaster. "I'm sorry I can't give you better news."
The matter was closed. Sirius ran a weary hand down his face. He couldn't believe that Widdows would allow a fourteen year old boy to compete in the most prestigious (and dangerous) Wizarding Tournament. The sounds of the doors closing made him look up. Bagman and Widdows were gone, leaving Karkaroff, Madame Maxine, McGonagall, Snape and the champions to face Dumbledore. Sirius walked right over to Harry and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Sorry, kid," he muttered.
Harry nodded numbly.
Before either Karkaroff or Maxine could speak, Dumbledore spoke up. "Sirius, please take Harry to your quarters. I will meet you there shortly."
"Okay," his voice was devoid of emotion. Steering Harry out of the room he proceeded through the now empty Great Hall to his quarters on the third floor.
"Sirius?"
"Yes, Harry?"
Harry chewed his lip, sitting on the edge of his Godfather's bed watching as Sirius paced the room. "What went wrong? You said you would prevent this."
"I know," his Godfather replied. "I'm sorry, Harry. We…no, I thought we had it covered but I was stupid enough to think that you wouldn't get chosen, but the thing is, no one considered the possibility that your name might be placed under a different school. Dumbledore seems to believe this is fate."
"Fate?" The words confused him. What did Sirius mean? "Is it something to do with Voldemort?"
Sirius nodded in response. "Dumbledore will kill me for saying this…but it is not his place to decide when you are ready to learn certain things. It's my responsibility. The headmaster believes that Voldemort is regaining his strength. The one thing he wants most is you, alive, so that he can kill you, personally."
Despite his Godfather's words Harry did not feel fazed by the fact that Voldemort wanted to kill him. It made him more determined to fight for his life then allow that murderer to take it from him. He swallowed before he spoke: "And he thinks he can get hold of me through this Tournament?"
"Yeah, but we don't know how."
"Okay. If he does get hold of me, what are you going to do about it?"
Before his Godfather could answer, the door to Sirius' room opened and the Headmaster stepped in answering Harry's question.
"I will be placing a complicated charm upon you so that if you are taken out of the Hogwarts grounds Sirius will immediately know where you are. It's not a commonly used spell - in fact - it is hardly used. However it is not easily detectable either. If anything happens to you Harry, we will know in advance and be able to help you."
"Okay," Harry replied, nodding in acceptance of the plan. As long as Sirius was able to track him he wasn't as worried as he could be. He just had to perform well in the tasks and survive. "When would this charm be placed on me?"
"A week before the first task," explained Dumbledore. "If Voldemort wishes to get his hands on you his best chances are through the tasks. We will be keeping an eye upon you, Harry. Hogsmeade trips will be allowed but you will be supervised."
"I understand," said Harry. "What shall I tell Ron and Hermione?"
"Tell them the truth. I'm certain they will see reason," Dumbledore informed him. "I must leave you now. I have business to attend to." As he walked to the door and opened it, the headmaster turned his head and smiled at Harry. "Good luck."
"Thanks, Professor."
Once he was gone, Sirius sat beside Harry pulling him into a hug. "I'm sorry, Harry. This shouldn't be happening to you. It's not right for you to have to face this at a young age."
"Sirius, if there is one thing I'm glad about and that is the fact that I've got to know you."
"I'm thankful I got a second chance to look after you. I promise you Harry I will not let you die. Not in a million years and especially not in this tournament."
To be continued...