Chapter 4

Jake decided to seize the chance and explore the castle based on Albus' advice.

As he ventured through the corridors of Hogwarts, Jake marveled at the grandeur and magic that surrounded him. The castle was an absolute spectacle! The moving staircases, animated portraits, and playful ghosts filled him with awe. He couldn't help but feel a deep sense of belonging, as if Hogwarts was his true home.

While exploring the hallways, Jake stumbled upon a large gathering of students in a crowded hallway. They cheered sporadically as some students approached a fiery goblet. Curious about the commotion, he approached a fellow Hogwarts student who seemed to be from Ravenclaw, judging by his robes. Jake figured the student, being a self-proclaimed nerd, would know what was going on.

"Hey there, fellow Hogwarts student," Jake greeted the Ravenclaw boy. "The name's Jake. What's everyone gathering around for, and what's with the giant cup that's on fire?"

The Ravenclaw student gave Jake a strange look, as if he hadn't seen him at the school before. Nevertheless, he responded, "Hey, I'm Ryan, a sixth-year Ravenclaw. Where have you been, man? Did you miss the opening feast this year?"

Jake chuckled and replied, "Actually, I just transferred to this school today. It's a super long story involving teleportation magic. I don't want to bore you with the details."

"Okay, whatever you say, man," Ryan replied, still a bit confused. "Well, if you're new here, you should know that the Triwizard Tournament is going on. That goblet over there is how you enter. You just write your name on a piece of paper and put it in."

"A tournament, huh? That sounds pretty cool," Jake remarked. "So, what's it all about? Is there a prize or anything? Do you get free homework passes for winning?" He chuckled, remembering how lackluster the prizes were for the contests at his old school.

"Yeah, man," Ryan replied excitedly. "Apparently, the best student from each school will be chosen to compete. We don't know the challenges yet, but they're supposed to be super dangerous and epic. People have died in this tournament, like 50 years ago, and it was canceled. But they recently brought it back. You know the best part? The winner gets a thousand Galleons!"

"A thousand Galleons? What's that?" Jake asked, unfamiliar with the currency.

"Oh right." Ryan interrupted. "I can tell by your accent there that you're from America.

They don't use gallons as their currency there do they?" He said. "They just use the Muggle currency… what are those called again? Dolores or dollars or something? Ryan continued.

"They're called dollars, my guy," Jake clarified. "So, these Galleons are money?"

"You bet they are!" Ryan exclaimed. "Not only that, a thousand Galleons is roughly equivalent to 10,000 British pounds."

Jake couldn't believe the insane prize amount for the school. What kind of ridiculously rich school did he end up in? He never wanted to leave this place if they were casually giving away that much money. Being a broke orphan, he absolutely had to be a part of this tournament. That amount of cash was mind-blowing!

Ryan nodded. "Yep, that's all you have to do. Oh, I should mention that you actually have to be 17 years old to enter... Oh, he's already walked away. Well, I'm sure he'll be fine..."

Jake searched his pockets and luckily found an old receipt that seemed good enough as paper. He borrowed a quill from another student and wondered why they were still using quills instead of pens? "Whatever, wizards, man," he muttered to himself. Jake confidently walked up to the Goblet of Fire, holding his wrinkled receipt that bore his hastily scribbled name, and tossed it into the fire. The students around him erupted in applause and cheers. Some of them were confused because they had never seen him before, especially since he was wearing Hogwarts robes. But hey, it was none of their business anyway.

Jake was absolutely psyched and hoped he'd be chosen for the tournament. That money was going to be his ultimate jackpot! He approached another random student and asked when they would find out who got selected. They told him it would be announced later that night at dinner. Figuring he had explored enough for now, Jake decided to hit the library and learn some quick spells. After all, this was a magic school, and he couldn't believe he hadn't learned any magic yet, even after spending almost the entire day there. That needed to change!

Entering the library, Jake was blown away by the massive collection of books. The titles on their spines promised knowledge and power. He was determined to make the most of his time and quickly learn some spells. He skimmed the shelves and grabbed a few beginner's spell books before settling down at a nearby table.

As evening approached, Jake reluctantly closed his books, satisfied with his progress. He made sure to be cool and return the books to their proper places. Jake then headed to the Great Hall for dinner, anticipation bubbling inside him.

The Great Hall buzzed with excitement as students filled the long tables. Jake spotted an empty seat at the end of the Gryffindor table, catching curious glances from some of the students. After all, they had never seen him before.

A girl with bushy brown hair, sitting across from him, spoke up. "Who are you? I've never seen you before. Are you a new student or something? I didn't even know Hogwarts had transfer students. Where did you go to school before? What was it like? Do you know any cool magic?" Her questions just kept on coming...

Fortunately, a red-haired guy who looked a little younger than Jake interrupted her. "Whoa, whoa, slow down, Hermione. Give the bloke a chance to respond. You're going to scare him away from our table." The younger girl blushed and offered a small apology.

Jake chuckled at her sudden shift from being super personal to cute and shy. "Hey there, everyone. The name is Jake, and yeah, I guess you could say I'm a new student," he said. "I just arrived here today, in fact. I don't really know which classes I'm going to be attending yet. I know I'm pretty far behind on Magic compared to everyone else here. I didn't even know magic existed until yesterday, if you can believe that."

Upon hearing his last line, the whole table expressed their shock. A brown-haired boy with glasses spoke up next. "What? You didn't know magic existed until yesterday, but you look older than us. How is that possible?" he asked.

Jake sighed. "It's a long story that I don't really want to get into right now, if that's okay. Just know that I'm here for now, and I'm ready to learn," Jake said, giving a thumbs up to all the Gryffindors who were listening in, most of whom still looked bewildered.

The glasses-wearing boy spoke again. "Whatever you say, man. Oh, and by the way, my name is Harry. Harry Potter," he said, his last name sounding reluctant, as if he were ashamed of it or something.

"Nice to meet you, Harry. As I said before, I'm Jake," he replied. "That used to be Jake Smith, but recently I found out my last name is really Gremory. So, I'm Jake Gremmory, I guess." He waved to everyone at the table.

Harry Potter nodded at his introduction. "Welcome to Hogwarts, then," he said. "You already got my introduction, and the girl who spoke up first to you is the smartest, Hermione Granger. Sitting next to her is my best mate, Ron Weasley." Jake noticed a red-headed girl blushing and looking away when Harry mentioned her name.

Jake thought to himself, "Seems like someone has a little crush." He found it slightly adorable.

Suddenly, an absolutely massive feast appeared in front of everyone, interrupting their conversation. It was some of the greatest food Jake had ever seen in his life! Conversations at the table died down as everyone started digging in. "This is absolutely amazing and delicious," Jake thought to himself. "Magic school kicks ass!"

About 10 minutes later, once everyone was mostly satisfied from the delectable food, the conversation resumed.

"So, mate," Ron Weasley said to Jake, "you just transferred in, right? So, do you know about the tournament and everything going on? The legendary Triwizard Tournament? It's going to be epic." Suddenly, a look of depression crossed Ron's face. "It sucks that I wasn't able to enter, though. I could have really used those thousand Galleons."

Jake was confused. "How come you couldn't enter?" Jake asked.

"You just got here, so you probably don't know, but only people who are of age, which means 17 years old, can enter the tournament," Hermione answered for Ron.

"Yeah, we tried to enter, and it totally backfired on us," one of the twins chimed in from a few seats down the table. "We did grow some super awesome beards, though, because of that age line Dumbledore put around the Goblet. I hope one day we can grow awesome beards like that naturally," the other twin said excitedly.

"That's strange," Jake remarked. "I was able to enter the tournament just fine, and I'm only 16." He glanced around at the shocked expressions of the people at the table.

"What? That's not fair!" one of the twins exclaimed. "We're 16 too, and it didn't let us enter. Did you have some type of counter magic against Dumbledore's age line?" he asked.

Jake shrugged. "I don't even know what an age line is, buddy. I literally just walked up to that fire cup and threw my name in. A bunch of people around me cheered, and that was that."

"Wait, really!?" Ron eagerly asked. "Hey, maybe Dumbledore's age line accidentally wore off, and he was able to enter! If that's the case, I still have a shot. They're not going to start drawing names for 10 minutes. I've got to go enter my name now!" With that, Ron jumped up from his seat and bolted down the hall at full speed, presumably heading towards the Goblet to enter his name. Not only him, but a group of other younger Gryffindors that were nearby listening in followed suit, presumably with the same intention.

Jake watched the younger Gryffindors rush off and shrugged. "Well, I hope it all works out for them, and they get to enter the tournament too," he said. "They shouldn't be excluded just because they're a little younger. That doesn't seem fair."

"It's not about fairness," Hermione interjected. "It's about keeping them safe. This tournament is supposed to be super dangerous, so only older students who know a whole bunch of strong magic should enter. Otherwise, they could get hurt." She continued to voice her concerns, justified in her mind.

"Pffft, of course, I know some spells. What kind of mage do you take me for?" Jake laughed, responding to Hermione's worries. He had spent the entire day at the library, after all, and now he possessed the ability to wield magic. He knew a total of... three spells!

As they continued their conversation, students from the other tables were left confused by the sudden rush of younger Gryffindors down the hall. 'Where were they all going? Did Fred and George spike their food, leading to magical diarrhea?' That was sadly a valid question going through the minds of many students.

"Hey, where's everyone running off to?" a pretty girl with red hair and a surprisingly large chest for her age shouted from the Hufflepuff table.

Ginny Weasley spoke up, loud enough for the entire hall to hear. "Apparently, this new student over here," she paused and pointed at Jake, who felt a little uncomfortable with all three schools' eyes on him, "he's only 16 years old and was able to enter his name into the tournament. That means something went wrong with Dumbledore's age line, and now all the boys under 16 who wanted to be in the tournament are rushing to enter their names before the deadline in a couple of minutes." She provided an explanation for the entire hall to hear.

"Holy crap!" exclaimed a Hufflepuff boy.

"We've got to get in on this!" added a younger Ravenclaw.

"Hurry up, let's go! We've only got five minutes left! Run for it as fast as you can!" The students from all houses began to surge out of the Great Hall, racing toward the Goblet of Fire to try and submit their names before the deadline.

The teachers seated at the head table looked on in shock as the younger students made a mad dash. Some turned to Dumbledore, questioning the integrity of his age line magic. Dumbledore himself wore a bewildered expression, his gaze fixed on Jake. If the boy truly was 16, how did he manage to enter his name? Could it be that his extraordinary magical power somehow bypassed the age line? The possibility that Jake's innate magic resistance shattered the spell left Dumbledore with a sense of unease.

Furthermore, the rapid departure of the students made it clear that catching up to them and reinstating the age line before they entered their names would be nearly impossible. Dumbledore silently hoped that none of the younger students from Hogwarts would be selected as champions. With several highly skilled seventh-year students participating, it seemed unlikely. Nevertheless, doubts began to creep into Dumbledore's mind, questioning the fairness and safety of the tournament.

Back at the Gryffindor table, Jake could sense the tension in the air. The bustling students had left behind a mixture of anticipation and uncertainty. The remaining students resumed their conversations, their voices filled with speculation and curiosity about the unexpected turn of events.

"So, Jake," Harry Potter began, breaking the silence, "what made you decide to enter the tournament if you've only just discovered magic?"

Jake leaned back in his seat, considering his response. "Well, Harry, I've always been fascinated by the unknown, and discovering the existence of magic was a revelation for me! Plus, with the immense prize money on the line, it could change my life. When the opportunity to participate in this renowned tournament presented itself, I couldn't resist the chance to enter!"

Hermione's brow furrowed with concern. "But Jake, it's a highly dangerous competition. Are you prepared for the challenges that lie ahead? Have you received any formal training at all?" She was genuinely worried about Jake's well-being, even if her thoughts had become slightly distracted by his newfound handsome appearance.

Jake smiled warmly at Hermione's genuine concern. "I understand your concern, Hermione, and I appreciate it. I may have only known about magic for a short time, but I've spent hours devouring books at the library, trying to absorb as much knowledge as possible. And yes, I do know a few spells, thanks to my diligent study."

Ron returned to the table, his face beaming with excitement. "Thank you so much, Jake! I made it in time to enter!" he exclaimed, loud enough for the whole hall to hear.

—

And heard his exclamation they did! All the students whispered with excitement amongst themselves, contemplating the possibility of a younger student being selected as their champion. Meanwhile, at the teachers' table, all the professors turned to stare at Dumbledore in disbelief.

Professor McGonagall, in particular, gave him a stern glare. "Albus, how could you have bungled up your spell so badly?" she asked in exasperation. "What if a younger student gets selected? What if that new student Jake over there gets chosen? You told us he doesn't even know any magic yet." Her questions were valid for the situation, and she wanted an answer.

Albus simply looked away, somewhat defeated, and let out a sigh. Sometimes he could feel his age catching up to him, and this was one of those moments. "It seems something did indeed interfere with my age line and destroy it. I apologize. Had I known earlier, I would have gone and corrected it. But it's too late now; the time for drawing names is over, and soon it'll be time to announce our champions," he said, somewhat defeated, hoping that a younger student would not be chosen. However, a sense of foreboding told him otherwise in his mind.

"What's done is done," the broody Professor Severus Snape said. "And if one of those dunderheads gets chosen and dies, well, at least we won't have to worry about their stupid genes ending up back in the breeding pool."

"Severus, how could you say such a thing!?" Professor McConnell exclaimed in shock. "Every single student at Hogwarts is precious to our community. I don't want any of them to get hurt."

"Bah! I faced challenges ten times as dangerous as this tournament when I was their age. It'll be good for them to face some danger. All they need is their wands and constant vigilance," Professor Moody (AKA not actually Professor Moody) spoke up. The other professors just ignored him; they had already learned that this guy was just plain weird, and it was usually best not to listen to him, except when it came to defense. They would grudgingly admit that Moody really knew how to teach that class.

Time passed, and more and more of the younger students who ran out of the hall to enter the tournament returned. Some of them had a triumphant look on their faces, while others were depressed that they had missed the cut off time by mere seconds, being too slow to reach the Goblet in time. But now, the time for entering their names was over, and it was time to find out who the champions were.

The students from all three schools hushed their conversations and quieted down as the Goblet was brought in, and Professor Dumbledore stood up to give his speech to the whole hall. "The time for the choosing is upon us," he said. "If your name is chosen, please go to the back room behind me, where you will receive instructions for the first task."

Whoosh!

The Goblet's flames turned from blue to red, and a piece of paper shot out of it. Surprisingly nimble for his old age, Dumbledore caught the paper out of mid-air. "The first champion is Fleur Delacour!" Dumbledore shouted.

"Boo!"

"Why was it her!?"

"I hate that Veela slut!"

The French students at the Ravenclaw table apparently did not like their champion very much. Jake listened to them booing the absolutely beautiful girl with confusion. He didn't think it was very sportsmanlike, but then again, they were French, so enough said.

Dumbledore ignored the booing and grabbed the next piece of paper that shot out of the Goblet. Once again, all the students in the hall quieted down, eagerly waiting for the next name. "And the next champion, representing Durmstrang, is Victor Krum!" Dumbledore shouted. This time, the reception was far different as everybody in the entire hall erupted in cheers.

"Krum! Krum! Krum! Krum!"

"He's the man! Best seeker in Quidditch history and future Triwizard champion."

"I want to have his babies so bad!" one girl exclaimed.

"Me too!" a boy from Hufflepuff added on.

Jake turned to Harry, who was sitting next to him, politely clapping. "Hey, what's Quidditch?" Jake asked.

*Gasp*

"You don't know what Quidditch is? How is that possible!?" exclaimed Ron Weasley. "It's only the greatest game ever made. Trust me, when you see people play this year, you're going to absolutely love it."

"But Ron, Quidditch was canceled this year," Hermione chimed in and dampened Ron's excitement.

Ron suddenly had a sad expression on his face. "Oh yeah, it was canceled, wasn't it?" he said, dejected. "I guess you won't get to see it after all, Jake. Sorry about that, mate."

"Well," Jake started, "if it's such a great game and you love it, why don't you just play with your friends? Or, I don't know, set up your own team? Even if they're not official school games, you can still play, right?" Jake asked.

*Collective Gasps*

"He's absolutely right!" a Gryffindor boy said. "We can just play with our friends."

"We can set up our own teams. We could even have a lot more games. It'll be fun! Maybe we can challenge players from one of the other schools too," the Gryffindor girl said.

Harry patted Jake on the shoulder. "Hey, man, that's a great idea. You're really going to lift the spirits of all the students who were sad that they couldn't play Quidditch this year. Thanks for that, mate," he said.

Jake just smiled back at him. "No problem, man. I love sports. That's why I joined Gryffindor in the first place. This is supposed to be the house of the jocks, right? Way better than the goth kids over at Slytherin, at least," he added, earning laughter from the entire Gryffindor table. "I still have no idea what Quidditch is, though," Jake finished.

"That's okay," Hermione sighed. "I've been to a bunch of Quidditch games, and I still have no idea what goes on in them."

"And the champion for Hogwarts is..." Dumbledore's booming voice interrupted all conversation as the students realized that the choosing was still ongoing. "Jake Gremory!" Dumbledore exclaimed, then took on a resigned look on his face.

Jake stood up from the table, throwing his arms up in celebration. "Hell yeah, let's go, baby!"

"…"

"Who the hell is Jake Gremory!?"

chapter end

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