The Autumn's Zephyr
Chapter 2: Return to Hogwarts
"Get up Ron – Harry – come on now, get up, this is urgent!" Harry shot up from his bed at the sound of Mr. Weasley's voice and grimaced as the top of his head hit the canvas. He was about to ask what was wrong when his question was answered, the noises of the campsite had changed, no longer were people singing, celebrating.
Instead screaming, crying and the sound of people running had replaced it. Quickly putting on his clothes, Harry pulled the flaps to their tent open and was greeted by a scene straight out from a nightmare.
He could see people running in panic, their cries, shouts and screams growing intensity, encroaching them were odd flashes of light and noises like gunfire. Feeling arms with his, he turned to see Ron and Hermione, faces white.
"We're going to help the Ministry" Mr Weasley shouted, rolling down his sleeves, "Fred, George, Ginny's your responsibility."
Fred and George nodded mutely. "You lot follow behind them, move towards the woods and stick together! I'll come fetch you when we get this sorted." Mr. Weasley looked over at Harry who nodded and proceeded to rush towards the panic induced mass who seemed to be running away from a large group of masked marchers along with Bill, Charlie and Percy.
"C'mon" Fred called, grabbing Ginny's hand and starting to pull her towards the woods, George, Harry, Hermione and Ron followed closely behind.
They were jostled violently by the panicking mass of people around them, Harry heard Hermione's incomprehensible scream too late as he felt her hand slip from his.
"Hermione! Ron!" He called out in frustration amidst the chaos as he found himself being pushed and shoved in a seemingly different direction.
The screams and shouting had reached a deafening point.
Taking a sharp right pass a flaming tent, Harry felt his throat constrict as he saw a four black robed figures huddling over a family that they were tormenting, the father, Harry assumed was on the ground twitching violently, limbs contorting in ways that made him feel sick to his stomach. The mother and children were not doing too well themselves as they were suspended in the air, spinning uncontrollably, screaming and crying for help.
"Expelliarmus!" Harry yelled, a beam of red light slammed into the robed figure who had been torturing the father, throwing them backwards. They landed with an audible crunch as the remaining three masked figures immediately turned their attention to agilely dodged the curses that were fired towards him as he used the burnt tents as cover.
"Petrificus Totalus!" Harry rolled out of cover, pointing his wand at the nearest masked figure who froze and fell backwards.
Suddenly, it was as if time itself had slowed as Harry found himself suddenly looking at the ground, his brain barely registering the fact that he had been blasted off his feet before time decided to resume and he gasped out for air, finding himself in a heap. His body ached all over, it would not listen to him, it refused.
"Well, well, look at what we have here," A robed figure croaked, Harry tightened the grip on his wand as he looked into the dark eyes behind a human skull mask. His heart pounding violently against his chest as his limbs seemed to be ignoring his brain's shouts to move.
"Your punishment for intervening…Crucio"
Pain, pain like he had never experienced, all consuming, shot through every nerve in his body. Harry felt his body twisting as he failed to contain the scream he had been fighting to keep out. Just when he was starting to wonder if he was going to die, his chest feeling it was going to explode, the feeling ceased.
Eyes blurry, Harry looked up in time to see his tormenter spinning, as if he were a marionette that had its strings cut. Harry's eyes widened as his vision cleared, the man's head had been sliced clean off, and blood was shooting out from the stump like a fountain.
Shouts and yells filled his ears as he saw a tall figure enter his vision, firing a spell at one masked man which caused him to explode violently, chunks of meat hitting the ground with a wet thud. The figure then flicked his wand towards another that caused him to drop his wand and to desperately paw at his own throat, as if he had all the oxygen in his lungs sucked from him. The masked figure dropped to a heap as Harry let out a breath of relief.
Turning his head, he was shocked to find himself staring into the concerned eyes of Cho's brother. The older wizard was no longer wearing his muggle clothes but a set of black robes that reached past his knees. Harry could also see Eugene was wearing a ornate badge, with a coat of arms consisting of a letter M with a wand protruding in the middle was visible.
"Easy, Harry. Take it slow…deep breaths." Eugene Chang said slowly as he carefully approached Harry who propped himself into a sitting position, leaning his back against a flipped over table.
"Are they…" "Dead?" Harry nodded dumbly.
"I'm afraid so." Eugene responded, sympathy in his tone.
"Oh…" Harry shrank, he had only wanted to stop the masked figures in tormenting that family, but this was not the outcome that he wanted.
"Listen to me, Harry." Harry's head shot up.
"That was a very noble thing, what you did" Eugene raised his hand when Harry opened his mouth, "You did not have to step in to save that family, you could have ran on, let someone else handle it. It would be understandable for anyone else your age or otherwise would have done that. It takes immense courage to step up."
"I just…" Harry looked down, embarrassed, "I don't think I can walk away knowing I could have done something."
"And you have, focus on that." Eugene placed a hand on the younger wizard's shoulder, his concern grew as he noted Harry had flinched reflexively at the gesture.
"Cho has shared with me around some of the things that has happened since you have arrived at Hogwarts, it concerns me greatly that her recounts have been proven correctly." Harry started to blush but panic shot through his body suddenly.
"Cho! Is she and Li alright?"
"They're both fine, I told Cho to get Li out with the Portkey that got us here." Eugene reassured the younger man, smiling at the sincere concern Harry Potter had for his sister.
It was hard to dislike this young man.
"So, what now?" Harry asked, slowly getting to his feet, ignoring the spasms of pain rushing down his thigh to his feet.
"We wait for the others?"
"Others?" Audible sounds of popping could be heard as Harry saw a group of wizards and witches appearing before their eyes, wands drawn.
"Head Auror Chang, report." The square jaw of Amelia Bones was tight as Harry watched the aunt of Susan Bones marching towards them.
"Yes madam, initial four unidentifiable combatants torturing a family of five, Mr. Harry Potter intervened and successfully disarmed one enemy combatant and incapacitated a second before being he was blasted off balance and was subjected to the Cruciatus curse for a whole ten seconds. I arrived on scene and permanently removed all threats present."
Harry averted his gaze as he felt the drilling gaze of Madam Bones on him.
"Permanently removed? I do apologise, but I might have missed the revision of our policy in engagement towards using lethal force." Amelia said sarcastically.
"Respectfully, I am to be expected to be briefed within the next couple of days, that was what I was told to expect. Mr. Potter's safety was my only concern." Eugene responded smoothly.
Amelia sighed, knowing a losing battle when she was in one, she'd need to keep an eye out on this one.
After some more questions, Eugene was allowed to leave with Harry. The older wizard frowned as he saw Harry looking down as he walked past the group of witches and wizards who were staring at him with curiosity. His little sister was right, the young Mr. Potter did seem rather averse to his fame.
Harry was in his own thoughts as he walked, reflecting back on the fight with the masked wizards, he had gotten lucky in having the element of surprise. He saw the way Eugene dealt with the two masked wizards that he fought; it had been so fast, so easy. Harry clenched his fist. He needed to be better.
"So Eugene…you work for Madam Bones?" Harry asked, curious.
"I do now, as you just accurately heard, I recently transferred back to England, though I might not have made the best first impression." Eugene smiled towards the younger wizard."
Seeing Harry's expression of confusion, Eugene elaborated.
"Amelia Bones is the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Imagine her as the muggle police Chief Constable," Harry could definitely imagine that considering the serious woman's stern expression, "Aurors would be the equivalent of your muggle policemen."
Harry filed in the information, growing up with his muggle family, he had never heard about Aurors and Ministry Departments before.
"How does one become an Auror?" He asked with piqued interest and was responded with a light laugh.
"A lot of hard work and patience."
Before he could further ask the questions on the tip of his tongue, Harry was led into a large erected tent where he was quickly ushered onto a bed. It did not take long until a young witch in lime green robes approached his bed.
"Hello Mr. Potter, I'm Healer Pritchard." The healer said kindly, nodding at Eugene, seeing the badge pinned to the front of his robes. Harry watched the two converse in hushed tones before the healer rushed away only to return just quickly with a tray, on it was a flask of blue coloured potion that she handed over to him.
"Calming Draught, it's used to treat a person after they have suffered a shock or trauma." The healer explained as Harry down the flask, noting that it tasted of peppermint, which he had complaints with after downing Polyjuice Potion in his second year. He then felt very tired, as the bed covers were pulled over him.
"Rest up, Harry and try to take it easy this year."
Harry hoped he was able to say something back before he felt eyes close.
Cho was pacing back and forth, eyes staring intently at the fireplace of her home. Her brain kicked into overdrive, worry filling each step she made as she continued to pace. Cho had many questions that at the moment were unanswered, she and her little sister had been woken up in the early hours of morning by their older brother who had informed them that they needed to leave as the campground of the World Cup was being attacked.
So without much argument, Cho dragged a whining and groggy Li into the woods where many others had also been heading. There she activated her Portkey, a crystal swan bracelet her brother had gifted her before she started her first year at Hogwarts. They had been taken back home where their parents greeted them. Mr. and Mrs. Chang were both visibly concerned over how shaken their eldest daughter had been and the absence of their son.
Cho had been able to tuck in her younger sister who thankfully put up no resistance due to her tiredness and now was waiting with her parents. She had told them that there had been an attack on the camp and Eugene had ordered her to take Li home as he went to help out.
"You're going to wear a whole on the floor if you continue, Cho." Mrs. Chang said softly as Cho stopped her pacing.
"But Māmā…"
"But nothing. Have faith that he will come home well. Your brother knows what he is doing." Mrs. Chang responded bluntly. Deciding to not respond, Cho sighed and took a seat on the sofa. Soon after, a their fireplace flashed as Eugene stepped through.
The taller wizard laughed as Cho jumped out of her seat enveloped her brother in a crushing hug. Meanwhile their parents released a collective breath of relief. Mrs. Chang then proceeded to hug them both while her husband watched on with a relieved smile.
Cho watched and listened intently as her brother told her and their parents what had happened after he had ordered her to escape with their little sister. Cho felt terrified around the things that her brother recounted, around what the masked wizards did to some of visitors of the camp, she was not sure how she could have fared being in her brother's position. Both of her parents had serious expressions as they listened to their son speak.
"By the way, Cho, I came across your friend Harry in the midst of all this." Cho felt her heart freeze, "Of all the boys that likes my little sister, why did it have to be one that I don't think I can be mean to?"
"Harry? What does Harry have to with the attack on the campgrounds? Is Harry hurt?" Cho asked rapidly, her normally calm and cool demeanour absent, ignoring the latter part of her brother's statement.
"I found him intervening with some of the masked wizards who had been torturing a family…he got the drop on two of them but was blasted off his feet…he was placed under the Cruciatus curse trying to help…"
Eugene watched his sister's eyes widened, hands covering her mouth in horror.
"Merlin…" Cho whispered, recalling the rumor mill of Hogwarts where Harry had fought You-Know-Who and prevented the Dark Lord from getting the Philosopher's Stone, saving Ginny Weasley who had been taken into the Chamber of Secrets, last year in being caught in the Sirius Black ordeal to fighting dark wizards and being subjected to the Cruciatus curse. Tears started to form in her eyes as she thought how unfair it was for Harry that these were experiences he had to go through.
"He's going to be fine, Cho." Cho looked up from her tears as Eugene placed a comforting hand atop of her head. "I got him to the healers, they gave him an extra strong dose of Calming Draught. Arthur Weasley arrived shortly and took him back to their home."
"That's…that's good. I'm glad." She whispered, shoulders sagging with relief, knowing that Harry was safe now.
"Harry, that is a boy's name, is it not? Is there something you wish to tell us, Cho?" Cho resisted the instinct to jump as she heard her mum's interrogating tone.
The skies were various shades of grey with a heavy downpour of rain as Harry, Hermione and the rest of the Weasleys arrived at King's Cross. He was dressed in a pair of Dudley's jeans and a sweatshirt as he walked across the road and into the station.
Being the fourth time that he will cross the solid barrier dividing platforms 9 and 10, Harry liked to believe that he was getting better in his attempts in being unobtrusive. As he slid through the barrier, he smiled as he was greeted by the sight of the scarlet steam engine that was the Hogwarts Express, swiftly setting off in finding seats followed by Ron and Hermione.
Stowing their luggage in a compartment halfway along the train, they said their farewells to Mrs. Weasley, Bill and Charlie who had decided to see them off. Harry was in his own thoughts as he was the first to settle in his compartment, eyes darting out the train window.
Everyone had been frantic in their reactions and responses following his encounter with the wizards that had shot what he knew now as the Dark Mark into the skies, especially Mrs. Weasley and Hermione after Mr. Weasley had been given the clearance by Healer Pritchard that he was allowed to be discharged.
He had missed the opportunity to say thank you to Eugene who Healer Pritchard said had returned home shortly after he had fallen asleep. Thoughts of Cho's brother inevitably brought back the fight he had been involved in with the group of dark wizards and the disparity between himself and the Head Auror's performance. Although logically, Harry expected that he would not be as strong as the older wizard and that it was the older wizard's job to fight dark wizards, Eugene was only a couple of years older than him, that and the knowledge of having lost and needing to be saved frustrated him.
"Never again…" He thought bitterly, glancing at the Holly wand in his grasp, following up on Eugene's advice, Harry had sent an owl to his Head of House, Minerva McGonagall around wanting to change his electives and had been given a response that they would be having a face to face conversation on this topic when he returned to Hogwarts.
He'd hope that whomever that Headmaster Dumbledore had chosen this year as the Defence against the Dark Arts teacher would be a good teacher. Voldemort had been after him ever since he had started attending Hogwarts and he'd bet all the gold in his vault that the same would be happening this year.
He wanted, no, needed to become stronger.
"Harry, are you listening?"
"What?!" He snapped back, a regretful expression on his face as he saw Hermione biting her lip, averting his gaze.
"Mate you're alright?" Ron asked sitting infront of him, it had been terrifying that they had lost Harry amongst the chaos that happened following the World Cup, however it was after that his best friend had returned to the Burrows with his father that he started to notice some changes with Harry, he had declined to play Quidditch and relax but instead had been tearing though the new books that had been waiting for them like a man possessed.
"I'm fine, just thinking about something." He responded, turning to Hermione, "Sorry for snapping at you."
Hermione was about to say something as the compartment door opened, causing all heads to snap to the opening.
Harry felt his heart skip a beat as he saw Cho standing at the doorway.
"Cho…" He breathed out as he stood up and slowly shuffled closer to the doorway.
"Hello Harry…may I come in?" The Ravenclaw seeker responded, to which Harry nodded with a small, shy smile. Cho restrained herself from giving him a hug as she remembered her brother telling her that Harry Potter was uncomfortable around being touched, citing he had flinched when the older wizard had placed a hand on his shoulder in reassurance. Cho looked back and feelings of shame coursed through her as she noted that it had happened when she had given a friendly hug following the match.
"How are you, Harry?...How are you really?" Cho asked, taking a seat next to him, nodding to the other occupants in the room before turning to face him. It was curious to see the brave young wizard next to her avert her gaze, as if he were ashamed.
"Honestly…I don't really know. I never expected to get into fights with dark wizards, it just sort of happened and showed me how ill equipped I am and well…I hope that we get a competent Defence teacher this year." Harry said quietly, he froze when he felt a warm and smooth hand take his own.
"You're not weak, Harry…" Cho gave his hand a small squeeze.
"But my best wasn't enough…your brother..."
"Harry, my big brother has always been a bit different, I remember my mum telling me that he was able to make things float when he was three on command. You've only been at Hogwarts for three years, Harry, and considering one of them involved being taught by Gilderoy Lockhart." They both laughed, "I think you're allowed to cut yourself some slack."
"Well, when you put it that way…" Harry smiled, remembering the fraud of the teacher he had in his second year. That's when he noticed that he was still holding Cho's hand, he could see her pale cheeks blushing and he could only imagine how red his own face was as they pulled away.
A cough echoed the compartment as Harry turned to see his friends looking at him and Cho. After a round of introductions, Harry was content to sit next to the witch he carried a torch for, subtly glancing her way before turning his direction out the window, noting that the rain had been continuing to pour without reprieve. He could not help but smirk as he listened to Cho calmly reciting the stats of past and present players for the Tutshill Tornadoes in response to Ron accusing her of supporting them only because they had been winning for the past few seasons which in turn left the redhead sputtering.
Harry had to shake his head as he watched Cho leaned back with a small smile of superiority of her undeniable victory.
"So Cho," Hermione started, "I can't help but notice that you don't have a prefect badge, considering you're in your fifth year."
Cho turned to the bushy haired witch and shrugged, "Professor Flitwick asked in the summer, I respectfully declined."
Hermione's eyes were wide at the nonchalance in the older girl's tone. "But why?"
Cho inwardly frown at the response, sure Hermione Granger was the best student in her year thus far, her sense of unintentional superiority was not a quality that Cho liked in particular.
"In Ravenclaw, we are all asked in our first year if we would like the position when we reach our fifth year by Professor Flitwick, our decision and his judgement determines who gets the post. I decided with me being on the Quidditch team that it was an additional duty that I could do without." Cho calmly explained, shooting a smile at Harry, as if she knew he had been stealing glances at her. He was such a dork.
"I suppose it's almost time, I have to get back to my own carriage, it's nice to see you again, Harry." Cho stood up, stretching lazily.
"See you around?" Harry smiled, green eyes slowly meeting her own.
"Yeah" He grinned, "See you."
As Harry got settled back into his book, Standard Book of Spells Grade 4, he could see Hermione chewing on her lip, as if she wanted to ask him something but decided not to. After a while, they had changed into their school robes as the Hogwarts Express started to slow down, eventually coming to a stop. Leaving their compartment, the trio got out and mixed with the other students, blending in the crowd.
They came across Draco Malfoy and his goon squad through the process with the pale blonde Slytherin throwing insults in an attempt to instigate a fight to get Harry in trouble. Harry had to physically restrain his bestfriend from lunging at Malfoy when he made a remark around his family being poor. The rain had momentarily stopped which Harry was thankful for.
Harry grinned as he saw the residential gamekeeper and Professor of Care of Magical Creatures, Hagrid. He waved and the hulking man waved back while calling out for the first years to follow him where they would be taking their customary boat trip across the lake. Harry stilled in his steps as he saw the carriage, or rather the two creatures that were tied to the carriage. Winged horses, with skeletal bodies, with a reptilian face and wide leathery bat like wings.
"What are those…" He whispered.
"What are you looking at, Harry?" Hermione asked at his side
"There's nothing there."
"You can't see them? Ron?" The redhead shook his head as Harry reluctantly got on the carriage.
Harry remained quiet as he journeyed up to Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the legendary castle growing ever larger, its majesty more apparent with each second. A warm, heartfelt smile spread across his face as he saw Gryffindor Tower.
He was back.
Along with a large majority of returning students, after enduring a surprise ambush by the castle's residential poltergeist, Peeves, who had elected to using water bombs to welcome Hogwart's returning students, Harry had made it to the doors of the Great Hall. Casting a quick drying charm on himself, Harry felt his breath being taken away once more from the sight that greeted him.
The Great Hall looked its usual splendid self, decorated for the start of term feast. Golden plates and goblets gleamed by the light of hundreds and hundreds of candles, floating over the tables in mid-air. The four long house tables were packed with chattering students; at the top of the Hall, the staff sat along one side of a fifth table, facing their pupils.
It air was warm and cozy. Harry joined the Gryffindor table, at the far side of the Hall, next to Sir Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor ghost who was dressed in his doublet. He watched on as Hogwart's Sorting Hat broke into song.
Harry's eyes remained fixated on the staff table, noting that there was an empty chair while he quickly identified the dimunitive Professor Flitwick, the charms teacher sitting on large pile of cushions beside Professor Sprout, the Herbology teacher whose hat was askew over her flyaway grey hair. The Head of Hufflepuff was talking to Professor Sinistra, the Astronomy teacher.
Harry felt his gut sink when he saw who was sitting next to her, the familiar sallow faced, hook nosed and greasy haired Head of Slytherin, Professor Snape. Harry inwardly sighed, he never knew why the Potions Master despised him on first sight without him ever having said a word to him, though he did find out last year through the way Sirius interacted with Snape in the Shrieking Shack that there was some bad history which had happened.
Last but not least, Harry saw caught the gaze of Hogwart's Headmaster and the only wizard Voldemort ever feared, Albus Dumbledore who gave him a nod. It was then Harry noted that the sorting had finished and that it was time for the feast to commence. Harry distinctively heard Hermione exclaiming in horror about house elves working in Hogwarts with Ron and decided it was not a conversation he wanted to be a part of.
"Had a good summer?" Harry turned and grinned as he saw Katie Bell, his teammate from the Gryffindor Quidditch Team.
"Alright, what about you?"
"Rested and ready for another year of Gryffindor dominace. Ange's been harping over it all summer." The brunette winked as Harry laughed. Their teammate in question, Angelina Johnson rolled her eyes and gave him a friendly wave, as did their other teammate, Alicia Spinnet.
"Speaking of harping, you should know Katie has a crush now and would not stop talking about it."
"I do not!"
Angelina retorted. "Ignore her, Harry, Katie was at the World Cup camp when those masked people attacked and said a very handsome Auror told her to run."
Despite his own harrowing experience, Harry coughed out a laugh.
"I didn't say handsome, I said he looked cute." Katie blurted out, face turning red.
Before anyone else could respond and to heap more embarassment on the Gryffindor Chaser. Their attention was directed back to the staff table as Dumbledore stood up.
"Now that we are all fed and watered, I must once more ask for your attention, while I give out a few notices. Mr Filch, our caretaker has asked me to tell you that the list of objects forbidden inside the castle has this year been extended to include several new items. The full list, can be viewed in his office, should anyone like to check it." Dumbledore smiled, "As ever, I would like to remind you all that the Forest in the grounds is out of bounds to students, as is the village of Hogsmeade to all below third years. It is also my painful duty to inform you that the inter-house Quidditch Cup will not take place this year."
"What?" Harry was not the only one who had been shocked by this announcement, as his fellow team members had been rendered speechless.
The entire student population were jolted back to the present as the Great Hall doors flung opened, revealing a man who standing in the doorway. They were leaning on a long staff, shrouded in a black travelling cloak. Every head in the Great Hall swivelled towards the lone figure, a sudden bright fork of lightning threw the man's face into sharp relief.
It was a face unlike any he had seen, every inch of skin seemed to be scarred. The man's mouth looked like a diagonal gash, a large chunk of his nose was gone. Though it was the man's eyes that Harry found most terrifying. One of them was small, dark and beady. The other was large, round as a coin and a vivid blue. The blue eye was moving ceaselessly, without blinking and was rolling up, down and from side to side, independently of his normal eye.
The entirety of Hogwarts watched as the stranger reached Dumbledore and shook hands, they were muttering quietly. Dumbledore nodded and gestured to the man who had sat down at the empty seat on his right hand side.
"May I introduce our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Moody."
Moody did not seem to care for his less than enthusiastic welcome as he pulled at a plate of sausages and diced them with his own pocket knife.
Dumbledore cleared his throat again.
"As I was saying," he said smiling, "we are to have the honor of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event which has not been held for over a century. It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year."
"You're JOKING!" Fred Weasley shouted loudly. The tension that had permeated the air ever since Moody's arrival had been broken.
Nearly everyone laughed, Dumbledore included.
"I am not joking, Mr. Weasley." He said, "though, now you mention it, I did hear an excellent one over the summer about a troll, a hag and a leprechaun who all go into a bar –"
Professor McGonagall loudly cleared her throat.
"Er — but maybe this is not the time…no, where was I? Ah yes, the Triwizard Tournament…well, some of you will not know what this Tournament involves, so I hope those who do know will forgive me for a giving a short explanation and allow their attention wander freely…"
Harry listened on with intrigue as Dumbledore explained the purpose of the tournament being to establish and foster international relations between the three schools involved, Hogwarts, Beauxbatons Academy of Magic and Durmstrang Institute but was discontinued due to the high death toll. Harry heard Hermione whispering furiously but paid no heed to her, listening now around how the British Department of International Magic Cooperation and Magical Games and Sport had endeavoured for a long time in ensuring this tournament resumed for this year.
"The Heads of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving with heir short listed contenders in October, and the selection of the three champions will take place at Halloween. An impartial judge will decide which students are most worthy to complete for the Triwizard Cup, the glory of their school and a thousand Galleons prize money."
Immediately, the Great Hall exploded with fervour, Harry could see people gazing at Dumbledore or whispering loudly to their neighbours.
Then again, Dumbledore spoke and the Hall grew silent for the final time.
"Eager though I know all of you will be to bring the Triwizard Cup to Hogwarts, the Heads of the participating schools, along with the Ministry of Magic, have agreed to impose an age restriction on contenders this year. Only students who are of age, that is to say, seventeen years or older — will be allowed to put forward their names for consideration. This— "
Dumbledore raised his voice slightly as boos, whistles and shouts of disappointment made themselves known, "is a measure we feel is necessary, given that the Tournament tasks will still be difficult and dangerous, whatever precautions we take, and it is highly unlikely that students below sixth and seventh year will be able to cope with them. I will personally be ensuring that no underage student hoodwinks our impartial judge into making them champion."
They were promptly dismissed with a good night and to get some rest for the classes they had tomorrow as everyone filed out into the Entrance Hall.
Harry sighed as he heard the Weasley twins bicker around not being able to submit their names and that nothing will stop them from entering. He noted that Ron speaking with a faraway look about the prize money mentioned. Harry was still thinking about the words Professor Dumbledore had said, sure the thought of being a champion the Triwizard tournament was an exciting one however the experiences that he had been through in the last three years stayed his feet.
To this day, sometimes in his dreams, in moments when he was awake, he could still picture it, the vivid green, fifty feet King of Serpents, bearing its opening maw towards him, the rows of glistening steak knife teeth. It did not seem real at the time and even now, two years since he had seen it, fought it, slayed it, the feeling lingered.
No, he wanted a quiet year, a year where he did not have to fight possessed teachers, giant man-eating creatures, dark creatures that were capable of consuming the souls of men. Changing into his sleep clothes, the last thought Harry had was a certain dark haired witch in Ravenclaw Tower, who no doubt was in bed as well.
Going to cut it here, since this is a Harry/Cho story, the perspectives will be focused primarily on them. I have plans for Eugene and incorporating him into this story, given his position as one of the Head Aurors. I needed him to be somewhat a part of this story to give Harry the motivation he needs to grow in strength. If you liked what you have read so far, please leave a review. Let me know if your thoughts.