AUTHORS NOTE :P

Hello! How is everyone?

I'll answer some reviews now...

almp15: You have to wait and find out I'm afraid...

AnikaandAj; You'll find out in this chapter :)

Anju Makaa: I did think about making her a champion, but I then I thought of the plot that's happening at the end, so I hope what will happen will be better :)

Annie Bell: I always do that when I read things, then I have to reread the sentence, like, a hundred times! And you'll find out how Max is in this chapter :P

Pyro and Darnet co: You'll find out who she goes with soon :) and thanks :D

Now here's the next chapter! Enjoy!

-Rach ;)

Max's POV

Every head in the Hall swiveled to look at Harry. He was frozen, his eyes wide. This was clearly a surprise for him. But who would put Harry's name in the Goblet of Fire?

There was no applause, merely the sound of buzzing as if thousands of bees had suddenly swarmed into the Hall. Some students actually stood up to get a better look at Harry, who was still sitting beside me, frozen. I reached over and took his hand in mine, and squeezed. He squeezed back, but didn't look at me.

Up at the top table, McGonagall had gotten to her feet and swept over to Dumbledore and whispered urgently in his ear, and he bent hsi ear forward, frowning.

Harry turned to look at us at last, and all of Gryffindor were staring at him, openmouthed.

"I didn't put my name in," Harry said blankly, as if he was in shock, "You know I didn't."

The rest of them didn't say anything, they just stared at him blankly. "I know you didn't, Harry," I said, giving his hand another squeeze. He smiled at me, but he still seemed to be in shock. He was squeezing my hand tighter and tighter, as if it was the only thing keeping him here in the Hall.

At the top table, Dumbledore had straightened up, nodding to Professor McGonagall.

"Harry Potter!" he called again. "Harry, up here, please."

"Go on," I said, giving Harry a slight push.

He seemed slightly lost as he got to his feet, stumbled over the hem of his robes and walked slowly between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables. There were hundreds of eyes upon him, as though each were a searchlight. The buzzing was growing louder and louder. Soon, he was right in front of Dumbledore, and all the teachers were staring at him.

"Well...through the door, Harry," Dumbledore said. He wasn't smiling.

Harry moved off along the teachers table. Hagrid was sitting at the end of the table, and as I watched, I saw that he didn't wink and wave , or any of the usual stuff. He was staring at Harry in complete astonishment, as was everyone else in the Hall.

Harry finally walked through the door and out of the Great Hall.

There was silence after he left, but as soon as the door closed behind him, Professor Moody, Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape, Professor Karkaroff and Madame Maxime all crowded around Dumbledore, and the two of them looked outraged. Mr Crouch and Mr Bagman stood beside them, then after a few more seconds, Bagman walked in through the door, probably to tell the other three champions what just happened. It was about another minute before the teachers, and Mr Crouch, walked in through the door.

As soon as the teachers were out of sight, everyone started talking at once. Mostly it was the Slytherins, all giving out about Harry being chosen as champion.

"How can Potter get picked for champion? He's not even seventeen yet!"

"He's a cheater!"

"How did he get picked?"

"I thought he was nice!"

"Hey!" I shouted, standing up, seeing as the rest of the teachers that were in the Hall were talking among themselves and not noticing what was happening. "Harry never put his name in that cup! So shut it!"

"Oh yeah?" a Ravenclaw boy said, "Then how did his name come out?"

"Someone else clearly put his name in the goblet, genius," I said, glaring at the boy.

"And why would someone want to do that?" he asked. The whole Hall had gone quiet, except for the whispering of the teachers, and everyone was watching me and the boy.

"I dunno... Maybe because he's Harry Potter? The Boy Who Lived? He's gone some enemies, you know. Or else someone did it as a joke," I said hotly.

"Well, were you with Potter every single second since the goblet was put in the entrance hall?" another boy asked, this time a Slytherin.

"Of course I wasn't," I snapped.

"Then how do you know he didn't sneak down here last night and put his name in it?" he retorted. Across from me, I saw Ron raise his head, eyes wide, then he lowered his head again, looking mad.

"Because I know Harry, and he wouldn't do it," I said, sending daggers to anyone that looked like they wanted to say something else about Harry.

"Oh, yeah, as Potter's girlfriend, you must know him so well," came a familiar, drawling voice. Malfoy.

I blushed a deep red, and let me tell you, I was really glad it was so dark in the Hall. "I am not Harry's girlfriend," I growled.

"May as well be," Pansy Parkinson said, laughing to herself as if she thought what she said was actually funny.

"No one asked you to say anything, Parkinson," Ethan said from the Ravenclaw table. I grinned at him, silently thanking him. "Yeah, well no one asked you either, !" Pansy said. Ethan looked uncomfortable, as if only realizing now that everyone was looking at him.

"Yeah, well at least people don't want to bash their heads against walls when I talk," he said after taking a deep breath. I laughed, along with half the Great Hall, mostly Gryffindors and Ravenclaws.

Pansy huffed, then looked away.

"Right, so Harry didn't put his name into the Goblet of Fire. And that's that," I said, glaring at everyone again, then sitting down. Hermione smiled at me, and I grinned. I never really thought I would do that, but I had to do something before everyone started hated Harry for something he never did.

"Okay, everyone! Time for bed!" Professor Flitwick shouted, as if only remembering that we were all still there.

Everyone climbed to their feet and headed for the large double doors. I kept looking over my shoulder at the door where Harry and the other champions had gone through, but it showed no sign of opening any time soon.

Everyone was talking loudly about what had just happened before the four houses separated, the Slytherins heading towards the dungeons, the Hufflepuffs going off through a door to the right of the marble staircase, talking about the party they were going to throw Cedirc, and then the Gryffindors (also talking about throwing a party) and Ravenclaws climbed up the staircase, but we split up on the first floor.

I noticed that Fang and Iggy were looking confused and annoyed, but they weren't like Ron. He looked furious about something. Hermione seemed to noticed too.

"What's wrong, Ron?" she asked.

"Nothing," he growled.

"Something is bothering you," Ginny said, walking beside her brother.

"Nothing is bothering me," he snapped.

"Riiiight," I said. Ron glared at me and started walking faster so that he wasn't walking with us. "What's with him?" Nudge asked.

"It's Harry," Iggy said, not sounding very happy himself.

"What about Harry?" Hermione asked.

"He's a champion," Fang said.

"Really? Well I'll be darned, I never realized!" I said, rolling my eyes. "What about Harry being champion?"

"Well, you'd think he'd tell us if he was going to put his name in the goblet," Iggy said.

"What? Harry didn't put his name in the goblet!" I said.

"Well, how do you know that?" Fang asked.

"I'm not answering this again. If you want to believe that Harry put his name in the goblet, then go ahead. I really don't care anymore, but Harry will care when he finds out his best friends think he did it," I said, staring Fang and Iggy in the eyes. They didn't say anything, they just walked ahead and walked with Ron.

"Boys," Nudge said, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms.

When we finally got back to Gryffindor Tower, Fred and George were organizing the whole party; they had banners up, and they had Butterbeer and sweets. There was even music playing from the corners.

I saw Lee walking the common room with a Gryffindor banner, and he was telling everyone that would listen that he was going to wrap it around Harry when he came in.

I didn't the boys anywhere in the common room, and after a few minutes of standing around and watching the portrait hole, Ginny and Nudge went to bed, then Hermione went up, saying something about reading more about the Tournament. I stayed in the common room, wanting to talk to Harry, and after another twenty minutes, the portrait hole opened, and Harry walked in.

Everyone started screaming and cheering when they saw Harry, and he was wrenched into the common room by a dozen pairs on hands, and he stood there, facing Gryffindor House, everyone was screaming, applauding, whistling. Harry didn't smile once, not even when loads of people were hugging him, clapping him on the back, or congratulating him.

"You shouldn't told us you'd entered!" I heard George shouting.

"How did you do it without growing a beard? Bloody brilliant!" Fred roared.

"I didn't," I heard Harry say, "I don't know how-"

But then Angelina swooped down onto Harry. "Oh, if it couldn't be me, I'm glad it was a Gryffindor!"

"You'll be able to pay back Diggory for that last Quidditch match, Harry!" shrieked Katie Bell, the other Gryffindor Chaser.

"We've got food, Harry, come have some-"

"I'm not hungry, I had enough at the feast-"

But no one cared what Harry wanted. No one was listening when Harry said he didn't put his name in the goblet; not one single person would hear that he wasn't hungry, or in the mood to celebrate. True to his word, Lee threw the Gryffindor banner around him and tried it in a knot at Harry's chest. I watched as Harry was desperately trying to get away, but he couldn't. If he ever got close to the stairs to the dormitories, then the crowd there would close around him, forcing another butterbeer into his hands, or stuffing sweets and crisps into his hands. Everyone was asking how he did it, how had he tricked Dumbledore's Age Line, and manage to get his name into the goblet.

"I didn't," I could hear him say over and over again, "I don't know how it happened..." But for all the notice people took of what he was saying, he could of just kept his mouth shut.

He still hadn't seem me, but I was the only one that wasn't crowding around him.

"I'm tired!" Harry suddenly bellowed, after nearly half an hour. "I'm going to bed- no, seriously George, I'm going to bed!"

The people around him spread out so that Harry had some space, and he looked around the common room. When he spotted me, his eyes widened with relief, but he also looked nervous about something. He started walking over to me, and I got up and met him half way.

"Hey," I said.

"Hi," he mumbled.

"So what happened? Did you find out what you have to do?" I asked.

He looked up at me, surprised. "What?" he asked.

I frowned, confused. "What?" I asked.

"You're not going to ask me how I got picked? Or how I put my name into the goblet?" Harry asked, frowning.

"No, because I know you didn't put your name in the goblet. But I don't know how you got picked," I said. Harry smiled, clearly relieved that I didn't suspect him. "Thanks. You seem to be the only person that believes me," he said.

"No, I'm pretty sure Hermione does. And Nudge and Ginny...But Ron, Fang and Iggy were acting a bit strange, but I'm sure it's nothing to worry about," I added when Harry looked frustrated.

"Did they tell you anything about the first task?" I asked.

"They didn't tell us what we were going to have to do, but it's on November the twenty-fourth. We aren't able to ask any help from anyone," Harry said.

"Well, that's alright. It doesn't matter what they throw at you, you can handle anything," I said, grinning at him.

"Thanks, Maxie. I think I'm going to go to bed before they all start asking me questions again. Goodnight, Max," Harry said.

"Night, Harry. Everything will be fine, I promise," I said, smiling at him. Harry smiled at me again, then ran up the stairs, the Gryffindor banner flying behind him.

Before the people in the common room could come up to me and ask me what Harry had been saying, I quickly went up the stairs to my dormitory. When I walked into the room, Hermione was the only other person in the room. She was sitting on her bed, reading a large book. She didn't look up when I walked in, and I didn't say anything to her.

I grabbed my pajamas and went into the bathroom on the other side of the room. I had a quick, hot shower. In the shower, I let out every thought and emotion that I had been holding in since Harry's name had been called. I felt terrified for him. He was entering a tournament where people have died before.

I never thought Dumbledore would let him actually compete in the tournament, but then I thought of what Dumbledore said last night: Once a champion has been selected to compete, he or she is obliged to see the tournament through to the end. The placing of your name in the goblet constitutes a biding, magical contract. There can be no change of heart once your name comes out of that goblet.

I moaned in frustration, somehow wishing that something could happen where Harry wouldn't have to compete. He has done plenty of dangerous things before this, but these tasks could be much worse then the things we did before.

I climbed out of the shower and quickly dried myself, and pulled on my pajamas. Hermione was still reading when I went into the dormitory, and she never looked up when I walked in. I pulled back my blankets and lay in bed, still worrying about Harry.

Harry's POV

After talking to Max, I raced up the stairs as fast as I could, just in case I was ambushed again. I was really looking forward to sitting in bed, talking to Ron, Fang and Iggy about what had just happened, then joking for hours, which is what we do most nights, but when I entered my dormitory, that wasn't what happened.

Ron, Fang and Iggy were still awake and lying in their beds, still fully clothed. They weren't talking to each other. The three of them looked up when I slammed the door, but neither of them spoke.

"Where've you been?" I asked.

"Oh, hello," Ron said, grinning in an odd, strained sort of way.

I suddenly became aware that that I still had the Gryffindor banner wrapped around me. I hastened to take it off, but the knot was tied very tightly. Ron, Fang and Iggy watched without moving while I struggled to remove the banner.

"So," Ron said, when I had finally removed the banner and threw it into the corner. "Congratulations."

"What'd you mean congratulations?" I asked, staring at Ron. There was definitely something wrong with the way Ron was grinning: it was more like a grimace. Fang and Iggy just lay there, expressionless. Something they were very good at.

"Well...no one else managed to get across the Age Line," Ron said, "Not even Fred and George. What did you use, the Invisibility Cloak?"

"The Invisibility Cloak wouldn't have got me across the Age Line," I said slowly.

"Oh right," Ron said, "I thought you might've told us if you used the Cloak...because it would've covered all of us, wouldn't it? But you found another way, didn't you?"

Oh, this wasn't happening. "Listen," I said. "I didn't put my name in that goblet. Someone else did it."

Ron raised his eyebrows, while Fang and Iggy still remained expressionless. "What would they do that for?" Ron asked.

"I dunno," I said. I thought it would be a bit too melodramatic if I said "to kill me."

Ron's eyebrows rose so high that they were in danger of disappearing into his hair.

"It's okay you know," he said, "If you don't want everyone to know, I get it. But I don't know why you're bothering to lie. You didn't get in trouble, did you? That friend of the Fat Lady's, Violet, told everyone that Dumbledore was letting you enter. A thousand Galleons prize money. And you don't have to do the end-of-year tests either."

"I didn't put my name in that goblet!" I snapped, starting to feel very angry. Why did it seem like only Max believed me?

"Yeah okay," Ron said in the exact same tone as Cedric when I told him the same thing, "Only you said this morning that you would of put your name in last night, where no could see you... I'm not stupid, you know."

"You're doing a great impression of it now," I snapped.

"Yeah?" Ron said, but there was no trace of a grin, fake or not, on his face this time. "You want to go to bed, Harry. I expect you'll need to be up early tomorrow for a photo-call or something."

He wrenched his curtains shut around his bed. I looked at Fang and Iggy, who looked like they wanted to say something, but the two of them just shrugged and closed their curtains too, leaving me standing by the door, staring at the dark red velvet that hid my best friends, and some of the few people I thought would believe me and understand what had happened.

I'm sorry that this chapter is so short and bad, but the next chapter will be longer and better, I promise!

Do you guys like Harry's nickname for Max? Maxie? If not, I'll stop him saying it :)

Anyway, you know the drill, review and you get cookies and butterbeer, so...

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-Rach ;)