A/N: SORRY PEOPLE MY BETAS ARE DOING WHO KNOWS WHAT. IVE MESSAGED THEM AND HAVENT GOTTEN ANYTHING BACK, THEY ARE PROBABLY BUSY PEOPLE SO IM NOT TOO MAD. SO YOUR JUST GOING TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH MY BAD ATTEMPT WITHOUT ANY MAGICAL HELP. ONLY HELP I GOT WAS ON GRAMMER SO IT SHOULDNT BE TOO PAINFUL TO READ. I WANTED TO HAVE THIS STORY OUT ON THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS SO I COULD HAVE A CHEESY ASS RHYME THING FOR AN AUTHORS NOTE BUT I GUESS THATS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. IM A LITTLE SAD I COULDNT GIVE YOU READERS A LAUGH AT MY HORRIBLE RHYMING SKILLS. ON ANOTHER NOTE, I DONT MIND IF ANY OF YOU PM ME IF YOU WANT TO GIVE MY STORIES A BETA TRY. IM WILLING TO GIVE PEOPLE CHANCES, BUT BE WARNED IF YOU ARENT THAT GOOD I WILL TELL YOU.
BASICALLY, IF YOU GOOD ILL TELL THE OTHERS ON HOW WONDERFUL OF A HELP YOU WERE. IF NOT...WE WILL GET TO THAT LATER.
ANYTHING ELSE?...HMMMMMM...LETS SEE HERE. I COVERED MY LACK OF SKILL OF DOING A STORY ON MY OWN. I COVERED MY ACTUAL DAY I WANTED IT OUT, AND MY RHYME. I COVERED MY WILLING TO GIVE PEOPLE TO TRY BETA-ING MY STORY, AND WARNED THEM TOO. UMMMMM I THINK THATS IT.
ALRIGHTY, YES THAT WAS A LONG AUTHORS NOTE. SO NOW THE STORY...FINALLY...YESSIR...OH YES...IT BEGINS NOW...IM SUPRISED YOUR STILL READING THIS...ARE YOU STILL FOLLOWING?...WOW YOUR DEDICATED TO READING THIS AUTHOR NOTE...NOW YOUR JUST BEING FOOLISH...ONE OF MY FRIENDS IS HITTING ME WHILE IM TYPING THIS WHOLE THING...SHE HAS SAID "BAD DOG"...EKDFJAKFJ...THAT LAST REFERANCE WAS TYPED WHILE SHE WAS HITTING ME. OK IM DONE, TILL NEXT TIME.
/
HOGWARTS COMMON ROOM, OCTOBER 31
5:00 a.m. and sitting on the couch Harry Potter was staring at the flames grumbling to himself. He stayed under the invisibility cloak for hours watching the door to the mess hall but no one came in or out. It was highly unproductive to say the least, which frustrates him to no end. His name has already been put in the Goblet most likely; Crouch was many things but a slacker wasn't one of them. So now he had to figure out what to do next.
Not realizing how long he had sat there thinking he heard one of the dorm rooms open and footsteps. Harry threw his invisibility cloak over himself. If he is seen down in the common room this early the other students will think he had attempted to put his name in; which since his name will come out soon today as it is, they wouldn't believe that he was actually staying up to prevent it.
It was Hermione that came down the stairs. Heading towards their work table she pulled out one of her essays. Harry shook his head in amusement, she was probably adding more to her already finished essay. He quietly went up the stairs towards the showers and took a warm one. By the time he came down stairs all clean and awake, Hermione had seven books on the table. He slowly tiptoed out of the common room into the hallway, avoiding being asked to help. He didn't mind Hermione's work ethic, but he really didn't want to be part of it.
Thinking it was too early for food to be served to students, he made his direction towards the hidden kitchen to get a bite. Making it to his destination, he scratched the pear on the painting of the fruit bowl and crawled through the small entrance. All of a sudden he heard a squeaky voice.
"Harry Potter! What is kind sir doing in the kitchen?" Harry looked down and saw Dobby. He couldn't help it, he bent down with tears and gave Dobby a hug. Not knowing what to do Dobby just patted Harry on the back. "Is Harry Potter sir alright?"
Releasing Dobby he wiped his tears away and gave him a smile. "Yes, Dobby, I just missed you is all". Dobby got wide eyed and started tearing up himself "Great Harry Potter sir missed me?"
"Yes Dobby, I did". Harry patted Dobby on the head, which was the switch for Dobby to dance all around in joy. While Dobby was dancing other house elves came over and gave Harry some bite sandwiches. Saying thank you to the helpful elves he turned back to Dobby who calmed down finally. "Dobby is happy that Harry Potter sir missed Dobby but why is Harry Potter sir here? Shouldn't Harry Potter sir be out eating with everyone else?"
Using the time checking charm, he realized that Dobby was right. Everyone was up and in the mess hall right about now. Running out with a thank you and a promise to return he made it in time to see Ron devour his plate. He had a small thought to just leave; seeing Ron eat would make even the most starved animal not want to eat.
Sitting down across from Hermione, he grabbed some pumpkin juice and took a small sip while looking up at the faculty. Hagrid was giving the French Headmistress goo goo eyes, Professor Flitwick was chatting up with The Headmistress Professor McGonagall, Snape was acting like an overgrown bat watching prey, and Headmaster Dumbledore was obliviously eating his breakfast. He gave the others, like Professor Sprout and Trawlaney, a quick glance till his gaze fell upon Professor Moody a.k.a Barty Crouch Jr., the most loyal follower of Voldemort for the moment.
Crouch Jr. was eating while Moody's paranoid eye was looking around. The temptation to call out and just kill him was great...well, almost as much as wanting to kill Ron. Looking to his right he saw Ron on his sixth plate, 'maybe he'll choke and save me the trouble of keeping an eye on him' Harry thought. "Harry..." Hermione sounded hesitant to say his name, her face showed caution.
Turning to Hermione he gave her a small smile "Yes Hermione?" She bit her lip, a sign that she was thinking on this for a bit, but then shook her head. Giving a small smile back "Nothing Harry, you just seemed tired is all".
"Yeah I couldn't sleep much, Ron snored louder than usual". Hearing his name, Ron turned his head, throwing pre-chewed smashed potatoes all over Harry's shirt. "Ronald, close your mouth when eating". Hermione had a disgusted face, which mirrored Harry's and about every student that saw it. "What, I always eat like this." He mumbled through his food.
Unable to take his behavior anymore Harry got up and started heading for the lake, he needed fresh air. 'Am I being too critical?' he thought. Harry probably was but not even three days ago he was in an apocalyptic world so he should get some slack. He sat down and watched the Durmstrang ship rocking back and forth while listening to the silence of his surroundings.
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Blinking Harry lifted himself up and stretched. "Have a nice nap?" Yawning he turned towards Hermione, "How long was I out for?"
"Nearly the whole day", closing the book in her lap she got up and walked towards Harry. Dusting off the grass and such off of him, and the blanket that wasn't his or with him before his nap, she gave him another worried look. "Harry are you really ok? You usually aren't like this."
Instead of answering her Harry took the blanket and covered the both of them together, "Lets head back, I'm sure it's time to find out who are the champions are anyways". She nodded with a smile and face going slightly red. 'Wow, her face is really red. There must be a warming charm on this'. Both started heading up the school, with the mess hall being the destination.
Harry couldn't help but be touched by how much she cared for him. He would put Neville up with her since he appreciates her but he is supposed to end up with Luna so that couldn't happen. 'Oh well, I have awhile to hook her up with someone'
Walking into the mess hall he noticed Dumbledore's flair for dramatization. The room was dimmed so that the flame was the main source of light. The chairs where placed apart to where almost everyone was shaded in some shadow. Hermione pulled him towards a couple of seats which had Ron sitting in one. Accepting the seat that Hermione chose for him he sat next to her.
Ron was about to ask what took them so long when he saw that they were sharing a blanket. "What the bloody hell are you doing sharing a blanket with each other?" Ron's shout didn't go unnoticed.
"What's wrong with that, we both were outside and so we decided to share a blanket instead of one of us freezing to death" Hermione snapped at him. Harry sat there thinking that it wasn't a total lie, but he was more confused as to why she said it like that and by her reaction. Didn't she start liking Ron during Fourth year, maybe it just started during this year? If that where the case then it'll be easier for her not to end up with Ron thankfully.
Tuning back to real time he saw that Hermione was looking forward glaring, refusing to talk to the red head next to her, while Ron was looking at him like he just banned quidditch forever. The spectators showed amusement at the golden trio's drama. The flames of the Goblet suddenly rose high making all pay attention to it.
"It would seem that the Goblet had made its decision" Dumbledore spoke with confidence. The flame spat a brown flame out which Dumbledore snatched in thin air, 'I don't remember the Goblet doing that'. "For Durmstrang...Victor Krum".
Applause was heard all around up until a blue flame was shot out. "For Beauxbaton...Fluer Delacour". All the males cheered like they won millions of Galleons, which made them look extremely foolish. Harry at least had the dignity to clap loudly in his seat. Hermione looked at Ron, who was one of the worst of Fluer's fans, with sad eyes as he yelled and cheered his head off. Being childish Harry side kicked her leg and then looked away acting like nothing happened. "Did you just kick me Harry?" Looking at her he gave a full blown smile, "Hermione what are you talking about?" and with that he turned his head forward towards the Goblet.
Pain registered in his foot a second later with a vague mumble of "Prat" from Hermione. Harry was about to protest with how much it hurt when he saw a ghost of a smile on her face. If he got her to smile instead of looking like a sad puppy at that asshole then it was worth it, or at least he was going to tell himself that after he got feeling in his foot. A red flame spat out of the Goblet, distracting him from his current pain. "Hogwarts Champion is...Cedric Diggery".
The whole school, minus most Slytherians, cheered so loudly that it was deafening. Dumbledore put his hands up as a gesture to calm down. He smiled as he spoke, "Yes, yes, we are all glad for the THREE champions that were chosen. Now Dinner will be served in the-" The flames of the Goblet where sputtering left and right making it look like an overdramatized firework. Harry was stunned by the show, 'THIS DIDN'T HAPPEN BEFORE'. Obviously he was freaking out.
A white flame spat out and into Dumbledore's hands. The headmaster looked at the slip of burnt paper in his hand and called the one name he had hoped but knew was coming.
"Harry Potter"
...
...
The silence was so profuse that Harry was sure he heard the giant spiders and centaurs having a fight in the forbidden forest.
"Harry Potter" Dumbledore spoke again this time much louder. Looking around he saw faces of sheer awe, anger, and jealousy. Hermione's face was the only one that was terrified.
Getting up he walked up and stopped in front of Dumbledore who pointed to go to the back room. Instead Harry just stayed in front of him. Opening his hand, Harry silently asked for the paper Dumbledore was holding. Being handed the paper Harry saw his name written in fancy writing, the first sign that it obviously not written by him.
If he went to the back room now he'd have to deal with the third degree questioning on their time and leisure; not this time.
Crunching the paper in his hand Harry looked up at Dumbledore and asked in front of the whole student body and staff, "How did this happen?". He saw Dumbledore uncomfortable with the question. Why he didn't know but it was time to find out.