Author's note: This series follows the books but will include details from the movie series for drama. Please note that the major events of the story remain true to the series and will be summarized into small sections to help progress to the story's love interest. I do not want to be claimed for plagiarizing but the original story line is needed to explain the changes in character development.

M rating for sexual content anticipated to start in year 4.

Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Harry Potter series. Thank you to J.K. Rowling for bringing us the wonderful Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

The Doting Rival

Chapter 23

Finally, October 30th arrived. Lessons ended a half hour early due to the impending arrival of the other wizarding schools. Adelyn was very pleased as this meant Potions with Snape would be cut short, though it didn't deter the usual excessive homework he assigned. Still, the feeling of anticipation was distracting enough to not worry about that just yet.

All students were required to assemble in the entrance hall. Each Head of House ordered their students into lines and to file in front of the castle. It was a cold, clear evening. Adelyn did not enjoy the cold.

"Wish we could have waited in the Great Hall like we do for the first years," she muttered to Ron and Hermione.

"Nearly six," Ron assured her. "How do you think they're coming? The train?"

"Doubt it," Hermione chimed in.

"A portkey?" Adelyn offered.

"Or they could Apparate – maybe you're allowed to do it under seventeen where they come from."

"You can't Apparate inside the Hogwarts grounds. How often do I have to tell you?" Hermione said in annoyance.

They continued to scan the grounds with the other students. Everything was silent and still. Adelyn looked across the lake and towards the Forbidden Forest. The moon cast plenty of light to see clearly enough, but no movement was seen. As she continued to look around, her line of sight landed on Draco Malfoy who was already staring at her. He gave a slight nod down of his head acknowledging her and smirked. She suddenly became bashful and abruptly looked away.

"What is it?" Hermione whispered. She looked around to see what caused the change in Adelyn.

"Draco was looking at me, is all."

Hermione looked slyly at his direction. "Still is, actually."

"What?" Adelyn grew red in the face. "Why?"

"And he's smiling." This made Hermione smile.

"Aha!" Dumbledore had pulled their attention back. "The delegation from Beauxbatons approaches!"

The students started looking around excitedly. A sixth year pointed over the forest. "There!"

Soaring towards them was an enormous powder-blue carriage the size of a large house. It was pulled through the air by a dozen winged palomino horses, each the size of an elephant. As it made to land, the front three rows of students had to draw backwards. The carriage door had a coat of arms consisting of two crossed golden wands emitting three stars.

The carriage door opened, unfolding a set of golden steps. A shining black high heel, the size of a small sled, preceded the largest woman Adelyn had ever seen. She had beautiful olive-toned skin, large black eyes, and a pointy nose. Her hair was pulled sleekly back into a low knot and she was dressed entirely in black satin with a string of opals around her neck.

Dumbledore started a clap, the students following his lead. "My dear Madame Maxime. Welcome to Hogwarts!"

"Dumbly-dorr," she answered in a deep voice, accepting his outstretched hand. "My pupils." She waved her large hand behind her.

A dozen boys and girls in soft blue silk robes had filed out of the carriage and settled behind Madame Maxime. They were huddled together, only a few with scarves or shawls. They did not seem to have been informed of how cold their destination would be.

"Please, warm up a trifle inside as we continue to wait on Karkaroff."

"Ze 'orses -"

"Our Care of Magical Creatures teacher, Hagrid, will be delighted to take care of them." Dumbledore motioned toward Hagrid as he approached.

Madame Maxime eyed Hagrid up and down and gave a surprising eyebrow raise. "Well, 'Agrid. The horses only drink single-malt whiskey."

"O'course. I'll see te it." Hagrid beamed, looking slightly up at her.

"Very well." She then turned to her students. "Come." The crowd parted to let them through.

Most students returned to gazing the sky, discussing if Durmstrang's horses would be even larger. But an odd, eerie noise was drifting toward them from below, rather than above. It was a muffled rumbling, like a gigantic vacuum cleaner moving along a river bed.

"The lake!" yelled another student. "Look at the lake!"

From the top lawn they were stationed at, they had a clear view of the lake. The surface was no longer smooth; great bubbles were forming and waves were washing over the muddy banks. Then, in the middle of the lake, a whirlpool appeared. A long black mast slowly emerged from the heart of the watery disturbance. . . then the rigging.

A magnificent ship rose out of the water, making great sloshing noises as it bobbed on the waves it created. It started gliding towards the bank. The ship looked oddly weathered and fragile, as if it were previously wrecked. The portholes looked like ghostly eyes. Quite the drastic opposite in comparison to the transportation of the Beauxbatons delegation.

A few moments later, the anchor was cast and people were disembarking down the plank. The students all wore shaggy cloaks of matted fur, appearing as though they were all of a bulky build. Beneath, their uniforms were blood red. The man leading the group had furs of sleek sliver, matching his hair. His short goatee finished into a curl and his tall, thin physique matched Dumbledore's.

"Dumbledore!" he called heartily as he walked up the slope.

"Welcome, Professor Karkaroff!" Dumbledore replied. "Please, this way." He gestured toward the castle and lead the newly arrival guests inside.

"Adelyn - it's Krum!" Ron was stunned as he saw Viktor Krum. He was trying to peak over the head of students as they made their way to the Great Hall. "Oh, I don't believe it! I had no idea he was still at school!"

Ron wasn't the only one to fawn over Krum. Many of the other Quidditch players were jumping up and down to see which way he went. Several sixth year girls were rummaging through their pockets, in hopes for a quill.

The Great Hall was quickly filled with students. The House banners hung above each corresponding House table. Behind the staff table, the largest banner hung, bearing the Hogwarts Coat of Arms; a lion, a badger, a snake, and a raven all united around a large H. There were four additional seats at the head table.

The Beauxbatons had already settled themselves at the Ravenclaw table. Ron groaned prominently when the Durmstrangs opted to sit at the Slytherin table instead of Gryffindor. Once the Hogwarts students had settled, the staff filed up to the top table. Last in line were Dumbledore, Karkaroff, and Madame Maxime. When the headmistress appeared, the students of Beauxbaton leapt to their feet and remained standing until she had sat down.

"Good evening, ladies and gentleman – most particularly – guests," said Dumbledore. "I have a great pleasure in welcoming you all to Hogwarts. The tournament will be officially opened at the end of feast. I now invite you to eat, drink, and make yourselves at home!"

He sat down and the plates in front of them filled with food as usual. There were a great variety of dishes Adelyn had ever seen, including several foreign options. The house-elves had pulled out all the stops.

"What's that?" Ron pointed at a large dish of some sort of stew with shellfish.

"Bouillabaisse," answered Hermione. "It's French. I had it on holiday summer before last. It's quite delicious."

"Yeah, I'll take your word for it." Ron skipped over it for black pudding instead.

A soft voice interrupted their eating. "Excuse me, are you wanting ze bouillabaisse?" It was one of the Beauxbaton girls. She had large, deep blue eyes and silver-blonde hair that fell almost to her waist.

Ron went purple, staring open mouthed at her, but not replying. Adelyn noted how beautiful she was and replied on his behalf. "Yes, have it."

"You 'ave finished wiz it?"

"Yeah, it was excellent." Ron could barely get the words out.

When the girl walked off with the dish, Hermione's laughter brought him to his senses. "She's a veela!" he said hoarsely.

"Of course, she isn't!" Hermione remarked.

"I'm telling you. That's not a normal girl." As the girl continued, many boys' heads turned, some also temporarily speechless.

"Once you've put your eyes back in, you'll noticed who just filled the extra chairs at the staff table." Hermione pointed forward with her eyes. Ludo Bagman settled himself next to Karkaroff and Mr. Barty Crouch, Percy's boss, sat next to Madame Maxime.

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

"Well, they did organize the Triwizard Tournament. I suppose they wanted to be here to see it start." Hermione offered.

Once desserts were finished and the golden plates had been wiped clean, Dumbledore stood again. Excitement and tension filled through room, anticipating his announcement.

"The moment has come," he said, beaming at the upturned faces. "The Triwizard Tournament is about to start. Let me first introduce the panel of Judges. Mr. Bartimus Crouch, Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation" - a slight applause started - "and Mr. Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports." There was a large applause for Bagman. He acknowledged it with a wave of his hand.

"Mr. Bagman and Mr. Crouch will be joining myself, Professor Karkaroff, and Madame Maxime on the panel that will judge the champions' efforts." Dumbledore then called out to the entrance to the Hall. "Mr. Filch, the casket, if you please."

Mr. Filch approached with a large wooden chest encrusted with jewels. It was obviously very old. Filch had set it upon the stand the Sorting Hat was usually placed at the beginning of the school year.

Dumbledore continued. "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 their ability to cope with danger. As you know, there are three champions, one from each participating school. They will be marked on their performance for each Tournament task. The champion with the highest total after all three tasks will win the Triwizard Cup. The champions will be chosen by an impartial selector: the Goblet of Fire."

Dumbledore tapped the casket three times with his wand. It opened and he pulled out a large, wooden cup filled to the brim with blue-white flames. He closed the casket and placed in carefully on top. "Anybody wishing to submit themselves as champion must write their name and school legibly on a piece of parchment and drop it into the goblet. You have twenty-four hours in which to put your names forward. To ensure that no underage student submits their name, I will personally be placing an Age Line around the Goblet of Fire. No student under the age of seventeen will be able to cross."

There were groans of disappointment. "Do not enter this tournament lightly," Dumbledore cautioned. "Placing your name in the goblet constitutes a binding, magical contract. There can be no change of heart once you have been selected as a champion. Now – time for bed. Good night to you all!"

Though there were no more than thirty additional students in the Great Hall, it was a crowded hum as they made their departure to bed. Ron was eagerly watching Krum, hoping to get his attention. They were close enough to the Slytherin table to hear Karkaroff summon his students back to the ship. They seemed to make it to the doors at the same time as Adelyn. One of the large Durmstrang boys ran into Adelyn.

"Ouch." She rubbed her shoulder. They boy merely looked at her, not saying a word.

"Oy! Apologize." Draco had been escorting the guests and witnessed the encounter. He stepped next to Adelyn and nodded toward her direction, using his body language to direct the boy's attention back.

"Draco, I'm fine." Adelyn truly wasn't hurt.

"You ran into her. Now, apologize." Draco gave off an intimidating aura.

At this time, Karkaroff made it to the front of the group. "What is going on here?" He looked between the three students.

Draco answered. "Your student, here, ran into Adelyn and refuses to apologize."

"Come now. Surely, it was an accident. Right Poliakoff?"

"Of course, Professor. My apologies, miss. . ." He waited for Adelyn to respond.

"Potter. I'm fine. . . really. Thank you."

Karkaroff froze. He stared at Adelyn. Many of the Durmstrang students came to a halt as well. Some began to point to her forehead.

"Yeah, that's Adelyn Potter," said the growling voice of Mad-Eye Moody.

Karkaroff spun around and the color drained from his face. "You!"

"Yes, me," Moody replied. "Now, if you have nothing to say to Ms. Potter, I suggest you move on. You're blocking the doorway."

Without another word, Karkaroff ushered his students out of the hall. The rest of the students were able to move again.

Adelyn pulled Draco by the arm to the wall against the entrance hall. "You didn't have to do that, you know." She was a bit flustered and kept looking around trying to avoid eye contact with those who were still staring.

"It was rude." Draco made it seem like the single statement justified it.

"Yes, but it was an accident."

"So? He should have -"

"Draco!" Adelyn interrupted raising her voice and looking at him straight on. She was serious. "Thank you, but the scene was unnecessary." He understood now. She didn't like the extra attention on her. He would remember that. His gaze softened and his shoulders relaxed.

"Adelyn!" Hermione called and waved from the staircase.

Adelyn waved back with acknowledgement. "I should go. Good night." She quickly turned to walk away, barely giving him time to say good night in reply. He watched as she ascended the stairs, cursing himself for making her uncomfortable.

The next day, many students opted not to sleep in. They had the same thoughts as Ron, Adelyn, and Hermione; to watch as people submitted their names into the Goblet of Fire. As they entered the Hall, Ron asked a random third year, "Anyone put their name in yet?"

"All the Durmstrang lot," she answered. "But I haven't seen anyone from Hogwarts, yet."

"Bet some probably did last night before we went to bed," Adelyn pipped up. "I would've if it had been me. . .wouldn't want everyone watching."

Just then, Fred and George excitedly hurried into the Hall. They stood outside the Age Line and each placed one drop from a potion vial on each of their tongues.

"What's that?" Ron asked.

"Aging Potion, dung brains," Fred said.

"It's not going to work," Hermione chimed. "I'm sure Dumbledore would have thought of this."

"The twins ignored her. "Ready George?"

"Ready, Fred!"

The duo hopped over the line and paused. Nothing happened. Everyone in the Hall cheered. They each removed a piece of parchment from their pockets and placed it into the Goblet of Fire. The flames sizzled then grew silent. More cheers erupted. Suddenly, the flames grew red and the twins were hurled ten feet out of the circle. A loud popping noise followed and they sprouted identical long white beards.

"I did warn you," said the amused voice of Dumbledore who had been watching quietly in the doorway. "I suggest you both got up to Madame Pomfrey. She is already tending to Ms. Fawcett and Mr. Summers."

There were few other attempts throughout the day to trick the Age Line. All ended the same; a beard and a trip to the Hospital Wing. It was still amusing to watch.

By afternoon, the delegates of Beauxbatons had also submitted their candidates. The popular successful submissions for Hogwarts were Cedric Diggory of Hufflepuff and Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor.

The evening Halloween feast had the Great Hall decorated in the usual holiday festivities, complete with flying bats and lit pumpkins. It seemed to go on far longer than the feast the night prior. Probably due to the heavy air of anticipation. Two consecutive nights of elaborate feasts didn't help to distract anyone. Except Hagrid, who was deep in conversation with Madame Maxime. He had dressed in a hairy brown suit with a large orange tie. He even attempted to control his mane of hair with some sort of gel.

At long last, the golden plates were once again wiped clean. Dumbledore stood to address the room. He approached the Goblet of Fire situated in front of the staff table. "The goblet is about ready to make its decision. When the champions' names are called, please come up to the top of the Hall and walk along the staff table to the next chamber" - he motioned to the door behind him - "where you will receive the first instructions."

He then waved his wand and dimmed the lights in the Hall. The Goblet of Fire shone more brightly. Everyone waited in anticipation. Suddenly, the flames turned red. Sparks began to fly and a single flame shot into the air, spitting out a charred piece of parchment. Dumbledore caught the parchment and held it beneath the now blue flames of the goblet.

"The champion for Durmstrang," he read out clearly, "will be Viktor Krum."

A storm of applause filled the Hall. Krum rose from the Slytherin table and made his way to the staff table where he disappeared into the next chamber. Karkaroff was beaming.

The clapping only just died down when the goblet turned red once again. A second piece of parchment shot out for Dumbledore to grab. "The champion for Beauxbatons. . . if Fleur Delacour!"

"It's her," Ron exclaimed as applause started again. Madame Maxime was very pleased, but a few of the other Beauxbaton girls erupted into tears of disappointment. Soon, the Hall grew silent once more. The Hogwarts champion was next.

The goblet glowed red once again, producing a third piece of parchment. Dumbledore read aloud from it. "The Hogwarts champion. . . is Cedric Diggory!"

Every Hufflepuff jumped to their feet screaming and stumbling to congratulate Cedric as he made his way to the front of the hall. Dumbledore motioned for him to continue to the next chamber.

"Excellent!" he exclaimed happily. "We have our three champions. I am sure we can count on all of you to give your champions every ounce of support. By cheering on your champion, you will -"

Dumbledore suddenly stopped speaking. The Goblet of Fire had turned red again. Sparkes shot out and a fourth piece of parchment burst into the air. He seized the parchment and stared at the name written upon it. There was a long pause before he cleared his throat and called out -

"Adelyn Potter."