Thanks for the great support and reviews. I hope this can turn out to be a fun journey. Italics are thoughts.
Harry and Ron had made their way back up to the common room after watching students for several hours.
Ron blabbed the whole way about the uncanny resemblance between the veelas and Gabrielle. Harry had just told him that it was nonsense.
Harry spoke the password to The Fat Lady and the portrait hole swung inwards.
"Harry! Ron! Where have you been? You said you would complete your potions essay!" spoke Hermione almost shouting.
Harry hung his head. He really couldn't be bothered to do it but he knew that Snape would punish him badly if he didn't. "We were in the hall. Watching the Goblet of Fire." Harry mumbled.
"That's not all!" Started Ron excitedly, "That French girl kissed him on the cheek!"
"No big deal." Said Harry even quieter. It didn't help that he was blushing furiously.
"No big deal? You have a veela chasing after you!" exclaimed Ron cheerfully.
Harry's voice rose more than he wanted it to. "She is not a veela! She is certainly not chasing after me!" Harry realised that his fists were clenched yet he didn't know why.
Hermione and Ron's faces look taken aback. They did not expect such a sudden outburst from Harry.
Harry muttered that he was sorry and ran up to his dormitory.
Harry didn't see Ron and Hermione again until the Champion selection that evening.
They had made up and strolled down to the Hall. The four house tables were already packed with students wearing many different colours.
The trio sat down near Fred and George. The twins were still arguing about whose fault it was that they had grown long grey beards after attempting to place their names into the Goblet.
Dumbledore hushed everyone down and started on his speech, "The Goblet is merely a minute away from announcing the champions. This tournament is not for the faint-hearted. If you win, you will go down in history. Receive eternal glory. But the tasks will be dangerous and will require much skill and hard work." Just then the Goblet's flames turned pinkish and a piece of parchment was ejected out. Dumbledore swiftly plucked it out of the air.
"The champion for Beauxbatons is Fleur Delacour." Dumbledore announced. The hall ruptured into a great applause.
Harry watched as Gabrielle's sister strode towards Dumbledore with a huge grin plastered on her face. She turned left into the trophy room.
Soon enough, a new name had been ejected out. "Durmstrang's champion is Viktor Krum!" Once again the hall cheered.
The world-class seeker rose from his bench and punched the air. He swaggered into the trophy room.
"And finally, the one we've all been waiting for." Dumbledore snatched the paper. "The Hogwarts champion is Cedric Diggory!" The noise in the hall reached an unbearable level.
Cedric too, walked into the trophy room.
"Now the champions have been…" Began Dumbledore but he never completed his sentence.
The Goblet's flames once again turned pink. Another piece of paper flew up. Dumbledore eagerly caught it and scanned it.
"Harry Potter." He mumbled at first then shouted, "HARRY POTTER!" the entire room fell silent. Harry felt hundreds of eyes upon him. He slowly stood up and inched nervously towards the trophy room.
Harry did not notice that a French girl of fifteen was watching him with keen eyes. She examined him and concluded that he did not put his name in. She muttered to her friends but they shrugged and carried on booing.
When Harry entered the room, all eyes fell upon him.
"Do zey require uz back?" asked Fleur.
"No. Not exactly." Replied Harry dejectedly.
As he concluded his sentence, many members of staff broke into the room and they were all talking in raised voices.
"'E iz a cheat!" Huffed Madame Maxime loudly.
"Complete foul play!" Interjected Karkaroff.
"Hush hush now. We'll get to the bottom of this." Said Dumbledore calmly.
"Only a very powerful Confundus charm could have boggled the Goblet!" spat Professor Moody.
"You seem to have put a lot of thought into it Moody." Glared Karkaroff.
"That was my job. To rat out dark wizards. People die in these tournaments; I can think of a few who want Potter dead." Retorted Moody. Karkaroff turned on his heels and sped out of the trophy room.
Harry gulped. He had been cowering as Moody and Karkaroff bickered. Had Karkaroff been a death eater? He certainly seemed the type.
Harry's thought process had been thrown off track when Dumbledore grabbed him by the collar. "Did you put your name in the Goblet?" Harry shook his head vigorously. Dumbledore scanned his eyes for a moment then let go of Harry and concluded that he was telling the truth.
Madame Maxime looked disgusted.
"Mr Crouch, will Potter compete?" asked McGonagall nervously.
"He must. As of tonight, Harry Potter is a Triwizard champion." replied Mr Crouch dejectedly.
More people burst into the trophy room. Ron entered and ran over to him. "You didn't enter did you?" questioned Ron slowly. Harry shook his head and Ron relaxed. "You had me worried there. I thought you'd figured out how to trick it and not told me!" He laughed.
"Hey. Where's Hermione?" said Harry. She wouldn't abandon him?
Ron visibly swallowed. "Erm…um…well she thinks that you tricked the Goblet and she said that she won't talk to you." Harry couldn't even hide his hurt. A pain twanged in his heart. His best friend had abandoned him in this time of need?
Through this talk with Ron he didn't even notice Gabrielle talking to Fleur in a passionate but harsh tone. Fleur had crossed her arms and turned side on to Gabrielle.
Gabrielle stood there dumbfounded then exited the room hastily.
Cho Chang had come in to visit to Cedric and they were holding each other tightly.
The next day, or should I say afternoon, Harry woke in his four poster bed staring at the ceiling. Had it been a dream? It seemed too real? And what about Hermione? Another dagger jabbed Harry's heart.
He rolled over and fell asleep again. He had no idea about the conversation going on in the Beauxbatons carriage between Fleur and Gabrielle.
"'E didn't put hiz name in ze Goblet! I just know!" Exclaimed Gabrielle to her sister.
"Why do you care anyway. 'E iz just a stupid boy!" retorted Fleur mockingly.
"Becoz, becoz, 'e iz very kind and nice and 'e does not deserve all zis hate." Replied Gabrielle rushed.
"Non," said Fleur calmly, "It iz becoz you fancy him."
Gabrielle opened her mouth to protest but then she realised that Fleur was indeed correct.
I am thinking of adding an Inter-School Quidditch Tournament? Tell me what you think.