Harry meets Alexander

Chapter 5

The week seemed to pass by rather slowly, waiting for the students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang to arrive. The excitement was killing him, couldn't they arrive already, so they could get on with the tournament. This waiting was pure torture. That must have been it, there was no actual tournament, there were no schools coming to Hogwarts, this was just how the teachers got off. It must have been Snape, he probably orchestrated the whole thing.

But before long, McGonagall lead us into the hall with each house's banners hanging up, celebrating the arrival of Durmstrang and Beauxbatons.

Beauxbatons was the first to arrive by way of a flying horse drawn carriage, and then a couple minutes later, Durmstrang arrived in a ship, which appeared out of a swirling vortex contained within the lake.

After everyone had arrived, the teachers ushered everyone into the Great Hall for dinner. Everyone settled down at their appointed tables. Durmstrang went over to Slytherin, and Beauxbaton's went to Ravenclaw.

Dumbledore stood up, and silence fell over the Great Hall.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, ghosts and – most particularly – guests," said Dumbledore, beaming at the foreign students. "I have great pleasure in welcoming you all to Hogwarts. I hope and trust that your stay here will be both comfortable and enjoyable."

One of the Beauxbatons girls laughed.

"No one's making you stay!" Hermione whispered, bristling at her.

Alec laid a calming hand on her shoulder, and Hermione smiled at him in kind.

"The tournament will be officially opened at the end of the feast," said Dumbledore. "I now invite you all to eat, drink, and make yourselves at home!"

The tables filled with food. And everyone started to dig in. Alec summoned himself a cup of coffee for his drink, one to try to avoid sleep. And for his food, he waved his hand, and summoned a hamburger with a side of fries.

Ron looked at him strangely. With his mouth full of food, he said, "What's that?"

Alec smiled at him. He pointed to his hamburger and fries in turn, and said, "This is a hamburger, and these are fries."

"Is that some kind of muggle food?"

Alec laughed. "No. This is more Traditional in America. Every country has their traditional foods, like your fish and chips, we have either hamburger and fries, or steak and potatoes."

Ron nodded his head in understanding, and then went back to eating.

Twenty minutes later and Hagrid took his seat at the staff table. He slid into his seat at the end and waved at Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Alec with a very heavily bandaged hand.

"Skrewts doing all right, Hagrid?" Harry called.

"Thrivin'," Hagrid called back happily.

"Yeah, I'll just bet they are," said Ron quietly. "Looks like they've finally found food they like, doesn't it? Hagrid's fingers."

Alec nudged Ron, smiling. "Hey, don't forget the jelly beans, they love jelly beans."

Ron scowled at him mockingly, and they all burst into laughter. "Blaster doesn't count."

Alec put a hand to his heart and made his lower lip tremble, completing the puppy dog look. He sniffled. Skrewts have feelings too, you now!"

Everyone laughed, and Ron shoved Alec lightly.

At that moment, a voice spoke up, "Excuse me, are you wanting ze bouillabaisse?"

It was the girl from Beauxbatons who had laughed during Dumbledore's speech. She had long silvery-blonde hair that fell almost to her waist. She had big blue eyes, and very white, even teeth.

Ron went purple. He stared up at her, opened his mouth to reply, but nothing came out but a gurgling noise.

Alec snorted. He was having the best time at Ron's reaction just because she was a veela.

"Yeah, have it," said Harry, pushing the dish toward the girl.

"You 'ave finished wiz it?"

"Yeah," Ron said breathlessly. "Yeah, it was excellent."

Alec had turned completely red from trying to prevent himself from laughing.

The girl picked up the dish, and carried it back to the Ravenclaw table.

"She's a veela!" Ron said hoarsely to Harry.

"Of course she isn't!" said Hermione tartly. "I don't see anyone else gaping at her like an idiot!"

But she wasn't exactly right. As the girl walked over to the Ravenclaw table each table she passed boys were looking at her just like Ron had. The only students that didn't seem to be caught in the same trance were Alec and Draco.

Alec had tuned out part of the conversation happening to the golden trio. He was studying Draco, wondering why he wasn't affected by the veela girl's charm. But before he could continue his analysis, Hermione brought him back in.

"When you've both put your eyes back in," said Hermione briskly, "you'll be able to see who's just arrived."

She was pointing up at the staff table. Two people had just filled up the empty seats. Alec squinted trying to figure out who they were. When he came up empty handed, but had a faint tingling in the back of his brain, as if he should know who they were, but couldn't recall, he turned to Hermione. "Who are they?"

Ron answered him instead. "That's Ludo Bagman, on Karkaroff's other side, and sitting next to Madame Maxine, is Mr. Crouch, he's my brother Percy's boss."

Alec nodded in understanding.

"What are they doing here?" said Harry in surprise.

"They organized the Triwizard Tournament, didn't they?" said Hermione. "I suppose they wanted to be here to see it start."

Once the plates had been wiped clean, besides Alec's which still contained his meal. Alec smirked as he took a bite out of his burger.

Dumbledore stood up again.

"The moment has come," said Dumbledore, smiling around at everyone. "The Triwizard Tournament is about to start. I would like to say a few words of explanation before we bring in the casket – "

"The what?" Harry muttered.

Ron shrugged.

Alec shushed them, wanting to hear what Dumbledore had to say.

" – just to clarify the procedure that will be following this year. But first, let me introduce, for those who do not know them, Mr. Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department of International Magic Cooperation" – everyone clapped politely. Alec clapped distractedly, wanting to know where this was going – " and Mr. Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports."

The clapping was louder for Mr. Bagman than it was for Mr. Crouch.

"Mr. Bagman and Mr. Crouch have worked tirelessly over the last few months on the arrangements for the Triwizard Tournament," Dumbledore continued, "and they will be joining myself, Professor Karkaroff, and Madame Maxine on the panel that will judge the champions' efforts."

With the word "champions", the students snapped to attention.

Dumbledore smiled. "The casket, then, if you please, Mr. Filch."

Filch approached Dumbledore carrying a great wooden chest encrusted with jewels.

"The instructions for the tasks the champions will face this year have already been examined by Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman," said Dumbledore as Filch placed the chest on the table before him, "and they have made the necessary arrangements for each challenge. There will be three tasks, spaced throughout the school year, and they will test the champions in many different ways... their magical prowess, their daring, their powers of deduction, and, of course, their ability to cope with danger."

And with that, the hall was filled with a dead silence. It was as if everyone was too afraid to breathe.

"As you know, three champions compete in the tournament," Dumbledore continued calmly, "one from each of the participating schools. They will be marked on how well they perform each of the tournament tasks and the champion with the highest total after task three will win the Triwizard Cup. The champions will be chosen by an impartial elector: the Goblet of Fire."

Then Dumbledore took out his wand and tapped three times upon the top of the casket. The lid creaked slowly open. Dumbledore reached inside it and pulled out a large wooden cup. It was filled to the brim with dancing blue-white flames.

Alec's mouth formed an o, as he watched the flames in the cup. He was totally entranced. Hermione nudged him in the ribs, breaking him out of his trance. He scowled and rubbed his aching side.

Dumbledore closed the casket and put the goblet on top, where it would be in clear view so everyone in the hall would be able to see it.

"Anybody wishing to submit themselves as champion must write their name and school clearly upon a slip of parchment and drop it into the goblet," said Dumbledore. "Aspiring champions have twenty-four hours in which to put their names forward. Tomorrow night, Halloween, the goblet will return the names of the three it has judged most worthy to represent their schools. The goblet will be placed in the entrance hall tonight, where it will be freely accessible to all those wishing to compete.

"To ensure that no underage student yields to temptation," said Dumbledore, "I will be drawing an Age Line around the Goblet of Fire once it has been placed in the entrance hall. Nobody under the age of seventeen will be able to cross the line.

"Finally, I wish to impress upon any of you wishing to compete that this tournament is not to be entered into lightly. Once a champion has been selected by the Goblet of Fire, he or she is obliged to see the tournament through to the end. The placing of your name in the goblet constitutes a binding, magical contract. There can be no change of heart once you have become a champion. Please be very sure, therefore, that you are wholeheartedly prepared to play before you drop your name into the goblet. Now, I think it is time for bed. Good night to you all."

Alec tuned out the twins as he headed for the exit. He wasn't paying attention, lost in his own little world, and then he was topped short when he ran into Professor Karkaroff and Professor Moody. He jolted back, and almost fell on his arse, but luckily for him the golden trio was there to catch him before he fell. He looked at them appreciatively. Hermione rolled her eyes before righting him.

He started to tune into the conversation that was happening before him.

"Me," said Moody grimly. "And unless you've got anything to say to Potter, Karkaroff, you might want to move. You're blocking the doorway."

Alec turned around to see Moody was right. Half the students in the hall were standing behind them, and they were looking over everyone's shoulders to find out what the hold up was. Huffing, Karkaroff and his students went back to his ship.

Finally escaping, Alec got out of the Great Hall, and rushed to the common room. He needed some time to himself to think. To ponder the under seventeen rule by himself, without anyone bothering him.

He entered the dorms to find Ash laying down on his bed, waiting for him. Smiling to himself he scooped up Ash into his arms, peeled the covers back, and they both fell asleep within minutes of each other. A boy and his cat, that's what it came down to, when he was pondering the world's problems, or why a tournament was so dangerous, or why one teacher seemed to be more interested in him than was natural, all it took was his cat to assuage his fears.

As much as Alec wished to have a peaceful, dreamless sleep, it didn't happen. It was filled with horrible things. Shadows and darkness and death seemed to be normal themes in his dreams, but he could never make any sense of them. They didn't seem to have any rime or reason. And because of that he overslept, so when he opened his eyes everyone had already left the common room, and he was left all alone.

Yawning, he stretched, and sat up in bed. Ash was right there, giving him the stare down. It was quite creepy, but by this point Alec was used to it. He scratched Ash behind the ears before grabbing the things he needed for the bathroom.

After he had stepped out of the shower and dressed in a tee shirt and jeans, or as the wizards here call it, muggle clothing. Sighing, he focused on the mirror in front of him as he brushed his teeth. He looked absolutely awful. He was paler than normal, and the shadows under his eyes were a darker purple than he remember them being. Giving up on ever not looking like a ghost, he spat into the sink and rinsed off his tooth brush.

He went back to his room to grab a cloak, and he pulled on a pair of loafers. Not wanting to be late for the unveiling of the champions he rushed off to the Great Hall, and made it in record time if he did say so himself. He slipped in besides the golden trio just in time for the feast.

Hermione sent a glare his way but her gaze grew more concerned as she took in his appearance. He tried to smile in response, to tell her he was alright. But it didn't work, it just seemed to make her more cross. As if she was saying, you can't pull that on me, I know something's wrong.

To prove her wrong. To say that everything was alright. He ate some pork with apple sauce and instead of coffee had a glass of milk. He had a few pieces of pork, and a few sips of milk, but couldn't go any farther because he felt sick to his stomach. He tried to smile at her, to reassure her, but it came out as more of a grimace.

Luckily for him he was saved by the bell, when all the plates were cleared away.

"Well, the goblet is almost ready to make its decision," said Dumbledore. "I estimate that it requires one more minute. Now, when the champions' names are called, I would ask them please to come up to the top of the Hall, walk along the staff table, and go through into the next chamber" – he indicated the door behind the staff table – "where they will be receiving their first instructions."

He took out his wand and made a great sweeping motion with it; right away, all the candles except the ones in the carved pumpkins went out, leaving them in semidarkness. Now, the Goblet of Fire shone brighter than anything in the hall. Looking at the blue-white flames everyone was entranced.

Alec held his breath, only guessing what could happen next.

The flames inside the goblet turned red. Sparks started to fly from it. Then, a stream of flame shot into the air, a charred piece of parchment fluttered out of it – the whole room gasped.

Dumbledore caught the piece of parchment and held it at arm's length, so that he could read it by the light of the flames, which had turned back to blue-white.

"The champion for Durmstrang," he read, in a strong, clear voice, "will be Viktor Krum."

Alec nodded his head in approval of Durmstrang's champion, and started to clap along with everyone else.

"The champion for Beauxbatons," said Dumbledore, "is Fleur Delacour!"

Alec clapped for her as she stood up from her seat and followed Viktor into the chamber.

The goblet of fire turned red once again and Dumbledore pulled out the third piece of parchment.

"The Hogwarts champion," he called, "is Cedric Diggory!"

Alec smirked at Ron for his reaction at Cedric being their champion. And then he clapped along.

"Excellent!" Dumbledore called out happily as everyone settled down. "Well, we now have our three champions. I am sure I can count upon all of you, including the remaining students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, to give your champions every ounce of support you can muster. By cheering your champion on, you will contribute in a real – "

Dumbledore suddenly stopped speaking, and it was apparent to everyone what had distracted him.

The fire in the goblet had just turned red again. Sparks were flying out of it. A long flame shot suddenly into the air, and upon it was two pieces of parchment.

Dumbledore reached out a long hand and grabbed the pieces of parchment. He held them out and stared at the names written upon them. There was a long pause, during which Dumbledore stared at the slips in his hands, and everyone in the room stared at Dumbledore. Dumbledore cleared his throat and read out –

"Harry Potter and Alexander Bennett."

AN: I'm sorry it took me so long to update. It happens that I sometimes get mad at my writing, but that's not fair to you guys so I decided to finish and post this chapter. But it would also really help me if you would give me a review, so I know that I am actually writing this story for someone, because the fans are an intricate part to a story, and I would really appreciate it if you would review. Thanks.