Vanishing Illusions
Chapter Four
Viktor, Fedor and Snape were well on there way to dismantling the basilisk when nearly a dozen Aurors arrived on scene. Like many of the students that had been watching, several of them began turning green and looked sick at the sight of the skinned and filleted snake. Casually glancing back as he went about the slow and careful task of removing the eyes from its severed head, Fedor recognized a few of them from his father's intelligence reports but one stuck out above the others. Auror Captain James Potter. He smirked slightly at the green hue the man's face had adopted before turning back to his work.
"What is that thing?" An Auror by the name of Tonks asked. She didn't seem as effected as her coworkers, she was merely curious. They had been told that Professor Dumbledore had called about a possible attack on the school only to arrive and see two students and a Hogwarts Professor cutting up some massive animal.
"Et ez a Basilisk!" A rather attractive French girl answered as she stood nearby, watching everything they did with rapt attention. Judging by her unnatural stunning looks, silvery blond hair and the way nearly every male present was practically drooling over her, he had no doubt that she was a Veela .
This statement sparked off an argument with the Aurors and Hogwarts and Durmstrang professors. Clearly Dumbledore and his staff were siding with the Aurors but Fedor didn't pay them any attention. He had a pretty good idea what they were arguing about and he knew that they didn't have any legal standing. After hunting many dangerous beasts he and his brother knew the law concerning them front to back and made sure to check for any differences in any country they go to.
After carefully extracting the snake's eyes and storing them away in a magically sealed air tight container, he put on his dragon hide gloves and propped open the mouth. He had just reached in with a large pair of pliers when a shout stopped him.
"STOP RIGHT THERE!" Fedor looked up to see an Auror he didn't recognize marching up to him. "That is to be confiscated."
"Excuse me?"
"He is right Mr. Krum. We cannot have basilisk venom, especially in such quantities just floating around." Dumbledore explained in his annoying all powerful and wise tone, causing Fedor, Viktor and Snape to look at the man as if he were mad.
"Professor Dumbledore, as head of your Wizengamont, you should know perfectly well that possession and sale of any part of a basilisk is perfectly legal, including its venom. My brother and I slew this beast so by law it belongs to us, to do with as we will. The Aurors have no jurisdiction in this matter. Their primary reason for this 'confiscation' is that they want its venom for themselves." Viktor spoke up as he dropped his tools and moved over to stand by his brother.
"Why would they want the venom?" Cedric's friend Amber asked in confusion. Both of the Krum brothers turned towards Snape with a look clearly asking, 'what do you teach these people?'
"Occamy venom is the primary ingredient in Veritaserum. Basilisk venom holds the exact same properties, only magnified by nearly one thousand. Diluting the venom held in this one snake would be enough for about a hundred and fifteen liters of the truth potion, saving the Ministry many millions of galleons in ingredients and brewers fees they would need to expend to produce the same amount using Occamy venom." Snape lectured to the group. Under normal circumstances he probably wouldn't have done so but if the students thought that these Aurors were trying to scam the Krum boys right after they killed the 'beast from the Chamber of Secrets' then it might do some good to have them on their side. After all, one third of that venom was his and he certainly had no plans to 'donate' it to the Ministry.
"Be that as it may, Veritaserum is a Ministry controlled substance, it would do you no good to have the ingredients for it when you cannot use it." Captain Potter spoke up firmly as he narrowed his eyes at the two boys, clearly trying to intimidate them into accepting his word as law.
"Be zat as et may," The French girl spoke up, mimicking Potter's words. "Krum's word steel stands. Et es not an illegal substance to 'ave and et es their rightful property." There was a grumble of agreement among the other students from all three schools but Fedor wasn't going to take any chances. He knew perfectly well that Potter had no problem playing outside the rules, well, neither did he but that was an entirely different matter.
Drawing his wand, he cast a series of shielding and containment spells over the snake's head before banishing it back to his cabin aboard the ship. Everyone looked at him in surprise for a moment as he stood up and looked Potter in the eye.
"There, now the problem is simply academic, isn't it? By agreement, our ship, and the Beauxbatons carriage, is sovereign territory. As it is no longer on British soil, you no longer have any legal say in what happens to that head. Now, if that is all, we still have work to do." Without waiting for a reply, Fedor went right back to work, ignoring the disappointed look of Dumbledore and the glare Captain Potter was sending him.
By mid-afternoon everything useful had been harvested and divided up between the three. Fedor had left two hours before to work on the head but had returned with a large jar of milky white liquid and a box full of teeth. Once their full prize was laid out before them, the Hogwarts students that had stayed around through the entire process looked on with dropped jaws, the negotiating had begun. None of them could remember seeing the greasy git, Professor Snape, treating anyone, much less a couple of students like equals. The three just stood around for an hour haggling and trading different parts until they were fully satisfied with what they had. Fedor even traded away one of his eyes for half of Snape's share of the basilisk hide. That particular trade had left Snape grinning like a fool, which everyone present agreed was rather frightening.
"So, Krum, I understand that your former Headmaster has experienced a bit of bad luck recently!" Snape spoke up after their transactions were complete.
"A bit of bad luck?" Viktor asked with a raised eyebrow. "Certainly Agarian gave you more information than that?" Though they didn't show it, both the younger men enjoyed Snape's reaction immensely. One of pure shock, as well as a bit of professional failure. As leader of one of the largest spy rings in Europe, he prided himself on knowing all information worth having as well as keeping secret how he got the information from those he worked for. Even Albus was at a loss for how he did it but to hear these 'children' spout the name of one of his informants so casually left him feeling a bit exposed. A feeling he did not enjoy in the slightest.
"How, how do you know about him?" He demanded harshly after quickly erecting a silencing bubble.
"You will find, Professor, that very little escapes our notice." While under normal circumstances it was best to keep your full capabilities secret, the Krums loved challenges, and the Tri-Wizard Tournament, while potentially challenging, was not enough. They needed something that would challenge them on an intellectual level well beyond that of students and matching wits with a master spy was the perfect opportunity. But to make it challenging the other party had to be aware of the situation, so revealing some information was necessary. After all, it wouldn't do well to go up against someone who was unaware of the contest.
Thankfully, Snape had a professional ethic, outside of being a professor anyway, that allowed this contest to happen. He would try to gather as much information as possible before even considering revealing anything of their true capabilities to Dumbledore and that would only happen if he found undeniable evidence that they were actively working against his own interests. It's a matter of professional courtesy, honor amongst thieves, if you will.
"As for Karkaroff," Fedor continued. "I would imagine that he annoyed the wrong people and they decided to make an example out of him. Fear has always been a valuable weapon but only fools believe that this only extends to threats of death and torture." Snape watched the two with narrowed eyes. He knew a challenge when he found one and despite his initial problems when learning about the two teens, he was filled with a new resolve. Unlike most, he wouldn't be intimidated by their tactics, primarily because they were openly encouraging him to try.
XXX
"What were you able to learn, Severus?" Dumbledore asked as the two entered his office. He had been waiting in the entrance hall upon his return to the castle and though he was concerned about the younger man's annoyed appearance, he waited until they were away from prying ears before voicing any questions. Despite the fact that it was three in the morning he would take no chances that there might be someone listening, through some charm or other means.
"Not very much. It would appear that it is common knowledge that the Krums were responsible for the attack on Karkaroff but there is not a shred of evidence that could be brought up in any court. I have no doubt that it was probably Aleksander himself that allowed this 'fact' to become known and it has done a masterful job of discouraging other 'interested parties'. Where I had received only reluctance before when asking questions, now that the nature of Igor's mental status has been made public, every loose lipped lowlife and gossiping tart is terrified to antagonize the family when it comes to private information. In the last three days Eastern Europe has had a drastic increase in the sale and study of Occlumency texts to the point where publishers are re-releasing volumes that have been out of circulation for decades. Pensieves and memory storage vials have been selling out consistently and even the self use of memory charms are on the rise. Anyone that thinks they 'might' know something they probably shouldn't is going to extreme lengths to keep it hidden."
"Were you able to get anything solid?"
"Oh, yes, I was. It would seem that after Aleksander's savvy investment binge a few years ago that made him millions, Lucius Malfoy actually invited his family over to one of their social gathering, choosing to ignore the fact that he was a 'traitor'."
"Maybe we could exploit that relationship in some way?" Albus mused as he stroked his beard.
"It's a dead end. I just came from meeting with Lucius just now. It didn't take much to subdue him and force Veritaserum down his throat as well as do an Occlumency scan. While he remembers the Krums presence at the party and some business discussions, there was also evidence that part of his memory had been wiped that night with the same charm used on Karkaroff, only for one selected memory instead of all of them."
"This is most disturbing, it would appear that we could be looking at a new threat or a possible attempt at returning Voldemort to power, despite Krum's initial reluctance during the first war. Either Krum or the Dark Lord found Lucius to be reluctant enough to remove the knowledge of the offer to join him."
"Damn it, Albus, don't jump to conclusions!" The potions master snapped in irritation. "All this proves is that someone fiddled with Malfoy's mind that night, not necessarily Krum, and we have no idea what the motivation could have been. The fact that Aleksander would bring his family to Malfoy Manor in itself is odd, the two despised each other and while a newfound wealth would be enough to make Lucius civil, neither a new ambition for domination nor a weakened Dark Lord could have convinced him to seek Lucius' assistance, your theory is simply ridiculous. The only reason I can fathom that he would have accepted Malfoy's invitation is that Lucius' had something he needed and he obviously got it. But right now, that is all speculation, all we know for sure is that they were at that party, nothing more. While your theory is possible, it is also just as possible that they are working against the Dark Lord, they are just going about it in a different manner."
"While that may be true, their use of fear tactics and memory charms is cause for alarm. I have a gut feeling that there are more sinister intentions behind this."
"The problem with gut feelings, Albus, is that once you have them, the only evidence that you see is that which reinforces your gut feeling. To rely on such instincts is both foolish and possibly damning. If you refuse to entertain other possibilities in this matter, I have no doubt that you will weaken our position to the point where should any confirmed threat emerge, it could cripple us. Goodnight!" Snape had to shake his head at the man's narrow mindedness when it came to the Krum boys. The Headmaster obviously had information he didn't want to share, but if he refused to give evidence that backed up his fears, he had no hope of convincing much of anyone. Well, no one of any importance anyway. There were certainly those that followed the Headmaster blindly like some stray dog looking for a home. The Potter's were perfect examples of this and he couldn't control sneering in disgust every time he saw them. Their blind devotion had cost them a great deal and they refused to see it.
Dumbledore sat in his office for over an hour going over everything Severus had told him, trying to find something positive but it continually eluded him. The fact that Aleksander Krum had kidnapped and raised Harry Potter as his own was proof of the man's nature. The idea that he could be anything but dark was simply preposterous. But what confused him most was their continued protection of this 'secret'. Young Harry, for he refused to think of him as anything else, had obviously known that he would discern his identity and yet they had made no effort to keep him from revealing the information to anyone so what were they hiding when they were probably prepared for the fallout when this revelation was made known?
While he tried to allow people their privacy, secrets that were kept from him annoyed him greatly. He was Albus Dumbeldore, the wisest and most powerful wizard alive, if they were truly working against Voldemort they would certainly be working with him, so they obviously had their own plans that would no doubt be detrimental to the wizarding world.
His primary concern, however, was Harry Potter. He was certainly party to Krum's plans and that was something he could not have. He had no doubt that it was Harry, not Allen, that would eventually defeat Voldemort but that would only happen if he could separate him from the Krum family. Not just physically, because he was certain he could do that when he brought the situation to the attention of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, but emotionally as well. That would be a great deal harder. But certainly he would want to at least meet his parents and siblings, every child in his position did. He would need to groom some form of emotional attachment with his true family while at the same time showing him that the Krums were not what he truly needed or wanted.
XXX
The days leading up to Halloween and the selection of the school champions were fairly routine around Hogwarts though the excitement of the student population grew with each passing day. Soon the Hogwarts staff began decorating the castle for the coming holiday and most of the students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang had trouble keeping the sneers off their faces at the sight. Even most of the pure-blood Hogwarts students had no concept of the true meaning behind All Hallows Eve. All they knew were the silly, meaningless muggle traditions that had been celebrated since Dumbledore became Headmaster forty years ago.
While it was true that there were many ancient wizarding traditions and beliefs that had no actual basis in fact, the power behind that particular night was certainly not among them. The metaphysical barrier between life and death was at its thinnest and if you had both the knowledge and power you could literally unlock many of the secrets of the universe. Unfortunately, those that have the ability to do so are the ones that are most persecuted and misunderstood in the magical world. Necromancers.
Once, a necromancer was revered above all other wizards. Kings sought their wisdom and the weak sought their protection. Despite popular modern belief, these wizards were not evil beings bent on using the power of the dead to enforce their will. They were not grotesque creatures raising armies of inferi. In reality, they were the literal living guardians of the dead. They soothed restless spirits and aided them to the afterlife and sought out and destroyed those that would use the dead for their own ends.
Sadly, the actions of a few left a stigma that later haunted all who used such magic. While Salazar Slytherin and Octavius Grindlewald were the most well known today, there were others throughout the centuries that lost themselves in its power, and the actions of those few branded them all as evil. Today even the study of the practice is highly illegal and the actual use of the art will earn you a death sentence. Kind of ironic that Albus Dumbledore, who was once apprenticed to a master necromancer, was the one who spearheaded the move to outlaw the knowledge after he defeated Grindlewald. A part of his past that he has worked very hard to wipe out of living memory. It would not do well for the self appointed leader of the light to be associated with such 'evil'. As they disappeared, the proof of the necromancer's importance was there for all to see. Ghosts were quite prevalent in the magical world but you would be hard pressed to find one more than five or six hundred years old. The reason for this is simple. With the steady decline of wizards capable of such magic was the inevitable increase of spirits bound to this plane. With no one to aid them, they were forever denied the rest the next life brings.
Fedor shook these thoughts from his mind as he entered the Great Hall for lunch but the worry was always with him. He fully supported Viktor in his studies but knew that if it ever came out nothing would be able to help him. Viktor had both the resources and the smarts to disappear, but men like Dumbledore, who felt it was their duty to rid the world of such evil, would never stop hunting him.
Over the last week, he had gotten to know many students from both Beauxbatons and Hogwarts but like at Durmstrang, he was uncomfortable being in the presence of those his own age. Primarily because they seemed too much like children to him. When you are forced to grow up at a young age you tend to prefer the company of those older than yourself. He especially enjoyed speaking with Cedric and his friends as well as a few of the French students, such as Fleur Delacour, the girl who was so enraptured by the harvesting of the Basilisk. He had no doubt that she would be chosen as their school champion, not necessarily because of her skill but because she would not be entered once, but probably many times over by her male school mates that wish to score points with her by helping her in the selection.
Hermione Granger, who he originally found entertaining with her passionate defense of ridiculous notions, had lately become rather tiresome. She sought him out any number of times each day to discuss her ideas and ask questions. At first he thought she was intelligent but he recently reevaluated that thought. Though she did carry a lot of knowledge in that head of hers, she was completely unyielding. She refused to accept anything that went against what she previously believed. She believed that the house elves should be free but the fact that that freedom would cost them their lives did not dissuade her. She believed that the magical world should move itself in line with the muggles, but she refuses to see the problems involved or brushes them off as inconsequential. He actually thought of her as a book, really. A walking, talking book. It contains a lot of knowledge and ideas but as a book it can't really be called intelligent.
As he sat down at the Hufflepuff table once again, he glanced across the hall towards the Slytherin table and grinned maliciously when he saw Draco Malfoy quickly divert his eyes. Since he arrived at Hogwarts six days prior, he had caught the boy glaring at him numerous times, but he always tried to hide it when it was noticed and he always went out of his way to avoid both Fedor and Viktor.
"Oh, that's Draco Malfoy," Cedric spoke up when he turned to see what he was looking at. "He's a bit of a weasel, really. Like Allen Potter, he thinks he owns the school and everyone should respect and defer to him. I'm actually surprised he hasn't tried anything with you or your brother yet. He usually tries to make it known to everyone that he is the most powerful wizard in the school as he says." Despite their age difference, the two of them were fast becoming friends, probably because Fedor didn't act like most boys his age, he tended to be more mature then many seventh years Cedric knew.
"Yes, I know. We've met him before, he learned his place a long time ago." Cedric was about to ask what he meant when another voice spoke up behind them.
"Ah, Fedor Krum." Fedor rolled his eyes before he turned around to see Potter and two of his stooges, Seamus Finnegan and Lavender Brown, standing a few feet away. Potter looked as arrogant as ever and the other two were looking at him with sneers on their faces, as if he were the personification of everything they hated. He was actually quite surprised that it took Potter this long to work up the courage to spread his own propaganda.
"I'm Allen Potter, current European Champion." He said as he extended his hand. The hall was pretty much silent as everyone watched on.
"And that means what to me?" Fedor asked curiously as he ignored the outstretched hand. Potter lowered his arm but his smirk stayed in place.
"I had heard some fascinating rumors and I just had to find out if they were true."
"And which rumors would that be?"
"That the reason you changed age groups last year was because you didn't want to face me, of course." The sneers on his companion's faces quickly changed to mirror Potter's own smirk as everyone else looked at Potter as if he were insane. They may not have known about Potter's actions and performance in that tournament but they knew that Krum was well beyond him. Hell, Potter had trouble when dealing with Malfoy and he had the gall to call a kid who successfully duels against adults a coward.
"Really, and who would be spreading those rumors, I wonder, you and your father perhaps?"
"WHAT?" Potter demanded angrily.
"Come now, Potter, surely you didn't think I wouldn't find out about that petition of yours? Even you can't be that simple."
"What petition ez zat?" Fleur asked as she gracefully sat down next to him. She wasn't quite sure what was going on but she had a pretty good idea that there would soon be some fireworks. Despite herself, she couldn't help but like the 'eastern barbarians'. Unlike every other male around her, they did not jump all over the place trying to get her attention or try to impress her in any way. They treated her like they would any other, which was an odd position for a veela to be in. They were an enigma to her and she found that fascinating.
"The petition Potter circulated to have my brother disqualified, of course. He and the others demanded that he be disqualified or they would refuse to fight. His father used his position on the International Dueling Committee to submit the petition when it was already too late to find replacements, so he had to fight at the adult level if he wanted to fight at all. Potter's a coward so he wanted to eliminate the competition." Viktor happily explained to the students.
"He won that tournament! He is no coward!" Lavender nearly screamed.
"Oh, he won alright, he won by default, nothing more." As he talked, Fedor looked Potter right in the eye and enjoyed how angry he was getting. "But truth be told, he never should have been there in the first place. His father disqualified England's rightful representative in the tournament, as well as the runner up, and put his son in instead. He also changed procedures that have been in place since the competition was first held to give his son a better chance. Normally, the best fighters are spread out in the first round, to weed out the weak quickly. It would do no good to have the weakest fighters fumbling around in the later rounds, it wouldn't be as entertaining.
"Instead, James Potter arranged it so that all the best were grouped together as well as all the weak. Coincidentally, Potter here was with the weak. He won his first duel on luck, nothing more. Also lucky for him, the other fighters in his bracket were so bad that they actually hurt themselves in their first duels. The winner of one blasted off his foot and the other winner tripped and fell off the stage, giving himself a concussion. Due to this, Potter got to sit out the next two rounds, going automatically into the finals.
"So, Potter goes to the finals with nearly a full day of rest after one pathetic performance, and thanks to his father, his opponent, while much better, is injured and exhausted after fighting three vicious duels against the top fighters in the competition. Pathetic, really, that even with everything in his favor, he barely made it out of that match alive. However, despite being the famous Boy-Who-Lived, the rest of the IDC was disgusted with the Potter's actions. James Potter lost his position on the committee and his son here was banned from sanctioned competition for five years." By this time, Fedor was standing up and talking in an excited tone.
"And, sweetheart," He continued while looking at Lavender. "Yes, he is a coward and he has no skills to speak of. I find it laughable how much your English press tries to hide what the rest of the world thinks of your great hero. Here in England, he is revered for something he had no control over, everywhere else, he is a joke, laughed at for the coward his is. Apparently even his own father doesn't think too much of him, considering how much effort he put in to make sure he won. Sad really." He finished in a mocking tone before turning to leave.
He had his back turned no more than two seconds when he suddenly spun around again and caught the arm raised behind him. With a quick squeeze, Potter's right arm snapped and his wand fell from his hand as he fell to the floor with a cry of pain, cradling his arm to his chest. One sharp look stopped Finnegan from interfering, his hand slowly moving away from his wand.
"It's always refreshing when someone shows their true colors. You were in a rage the entire time I was talking but it was only when I turned my back that you tried to attack. Certainly seems to be the actions of a coward to me." Crouching down, he grabbed a handful of Potter's hair and jerked his head up so that he was looking into his eyes. "If you ever raise your wand to me again, I will leave you with no hands to hold it."
"Well," He said in a jovial tone as he stood back up. "As entertaining as this has been, I think I'll skip lunch today. Cedric, Fleur, always a pleasure." He walked out of the hall, whistling happily as everyone watched him go with wide eyes before excited whispers and booming laughter broke out as Seamus pulled Potter up off the floor.
"What is going on?" Everyone turned to see Snape and many of the other professors striding into the hall. With them were several Ministry officials that were present to make sure that everything was prepared for the selection ceremony during the feast that evening. Professor Dumbledore, the last to enter, looked around in confusion until his eyes fell upon Seamus Finnegan leading an injured Allen Potter towards the door. Seeing the Headmaster, Seamus quickened his pace until he reached them.
"It was Krum, Sir. He attacked Allen." He all but shouted.
"That is a complete fabrication, Headmaster." Cho Chang jumped up from the Ravenclaw table as many other students began shouting at the young Irishman and his friend. "Potter drew his wand and was about to curse him in the back. He was just defending himself."
Under an invisibility spell, and out of sight of both Dumbledore and Moody, Fedor smirked before leaving the hall once again. Gaining the support of the Hogwarts students was much easier than he thought it would be. Potter certainly hadn't made a long list of friends in the school but he had half expected that they would rally behind one of their own none the less but that didn't appear to be the case.
XXX
"Viktor!" Aleksander greeted his son as the two met on the dock. Where there was once one ship, five now stood as the other Durmstrang students, fourth year and above, and staff arrived to see their champion named. Several hundred students were making the trek up to the castle where they were met with a horde of Beauxbatons students doing the same.
"Father!" The two shared a rough hug before Aleksander asked about Fedor's whereabouts. "He is still in his cabin, trying to get his mind in order. He's convinced that one of us will be named champion and he doesn't much like it."
"It's just one more complication that we could have done without." He father grunted. "Being stuck here for a year with Dumbledore breathing down your necks is going to be bad enough. How are things going thus far?"
"Better than could be expected. As it stands, if it comes down to Fedor or the Potters, it appears that the students here will support Fedor."
"That quickly, how did he manage that?"
"He broke Potter's arm!" Viktor chuckled before explaining what had happened at lunch that afternoon. "Though Dumbledore has kept anything embarrassing out of the papers, he can't exactly Obliviate his entire student body when it comes to Potter's attitude. The majority simply can not stand him and that would reflect on his parents as well. When Dumbledore makes his move to gain control over Fedor, I have no doubt that the students will support him. Who knows, when they learn that he is really the Boy-Who-Lived, that support may strengthen exponentially. After all, that little fact will take a lot of the wind out of Potter's sails."
"Good, good. Everything within the Ministry is prepared for any actions and your mother will unleash our reports a day or two before Dumbledore goes to the Aurors. She met with Rita Skeeter this morning and she is practically foaming at the mouth at the moment. With her editor now in our pocket instead of Dumbledore's, she can turn that savage quill of hers to a more worthy target than the Fudge."
"How much did you have to pay her?"
"Not a knut. The information we gave her, and the promise of an exclusive with Fedor left her in almost orgasmic bliss. She will be most useful in the months to come. If there is anything a reporter loves more than building up a hero, it's tearing them back down again. Lets get your brother and get up to this feast, your mother is waiting inside and wants to speak with you before the selection."
XXX
Dumbledore looked out over the expanded Great Hall with a serene look on his face as he looked upon the three thousand students before him. This was what he wanted. The young wizards and witches from across Europe coming together for a little healthy competition and to forge bonds of friendship. And Hogwarts, he, was the centerpiece of the event. While technically speaking, it was now Beauxbatons turn in the rotation to host the event, it didn't take him much work to get the International Confederation of Wizards to award the rights to Hogwarts, he was the Supreme Mugwump of that body, after all.
His smile momentarily faded into a frown as he saw Viktor Krum and Harry Potter enter with Viktor's parents at their side. The two boys took their place with their schoolmates while Aleksander and Olivia Krum approached the head table. He was a bit relieved to see that the only seats that remained available were at the far end. Right next to Severus. A perfect opportunity to gather intelligence on the man.
Throughout the feast, he continued trying to find some way around Harry's mental defenses but he couldn't find a way in without alerting the boy to his presence. He had tried numerous times over the last week but met with no success. The boy's defenses were pretty good and he actively maintained them, constantly on his guard.
Fedor was silent through most of the feast as he mentally cataloged each of Dumbledore's attempts at accessing his mind. While he probably wouldn't press charges for such an offence, it would certainly serve as good blackmail material should he need it. The simple fact that the Headmaster of Hogwarts was actively using unauthorized Legillamency on underage wizards would undoubtedly cost him a great deal of support as well as call into question his suitability for holding such a position.
Once the feast was done, the food vanished and their golden plates returned to their pristine condition, Dumbledore rose to his feet with that annoying smile on his face. Fedor, and most of his classmates, tuned the man out and they turned their attention to other things while he prattled on about courage and honor until the candles with the exception of those resting inside the floating carved pumpkins suddenly went out. The Goblet of Fire that stood in front of the head table was alight with blue flame so bright it was almost painful to see.
Everyone waited with bated breath for several long moments before the flame suddenly turned red and a small piece of parchment was ejected into the air. Dumbledore grabbed it with a wrinkled hand and read the name but for his own amusement chose to let the students wait.
"The champion for Beauxbatons Academy of Magic… Miss Fleur Delacour!" Most of the male population of the hall nearly tripped over themselves trying to be the first to jump to their feet and loudly applaud as the beautiful part veela rose to her feet gracefully and approached the front of the hall where she was instructed to proceed through the door beside the staff table to the connecting chamber where the champions were to await further instructions. The females present had a much different reaction. Most of them looked at her with contempt or outright loathing. While a veela's charm brings almost blind devotion from men, it attracts the opposite from women, who are often convinced that the veela is competition for any real or imagined relationship.
"The champion for the Durmstrang Institute… Mister Fedor Krum!" No amount of Occlumency exercises could help him keep the disgruntled look off his face even if he wanted to. He had no wish to be at Hogwarts or in this tournament and he had no problem letting everyone know it. Most of the hall was cheering for him, even those enemies he had in Durmstrang. At this point it was only about Durmstrang winning the tournament and they felt that Fedor was the best chance for that to happen.
As he passed the head table to make his way to the connecting room, he snapped his head to the side and shot a very menacing glare towards Dumbledore. The gentle probing of his mind immediately disappeared as the old man turned away. Both his father, and Snape surprisingly, gave him a brief nod while his mother blew him a kiss before he passed through the door.
The room he entered was rather small with dozens of portraits covering the walls and a roaring fireplace was at the opposite end of the room. There were a few chairs scattered about but nothing that indicated that the room was in regular use. Fleur was standing in front of the fire and just gazed into the flames, obviously trying to steady her nerves. He was actually quite interested to see how the French beauty handled the tournament. He had no doubt that she had talent and her veela ancestry ensured that she could be quite aggressive when the situation called for it, but a young woman raised as a proper aristocrat was not the type you normally saw in such competitions though he knew perfectly well not to underestimate her based on her appearance and the way she was raised. He may not have wanted to enter this tournament, but now that he was selected, winning was the only option available to him. His competitive nature would demand nothing less than his full commitment.
Both Fleur and Fedor, thinking of nothing to say to each other, silently nodded to each other as they waited for the Hogwarts champion to be selected. They didn't have to wait long before Cedric walked into the room with a big smile on his face but any observant individual could tell that he was just as nervous as Fleur.
"Well, Fedor, I'd say congratulations, but you don't seem too happy to be here."
"How'd you guess?" The younger boy asked sarcastically which only caused Cedric's grin to widen. Both of his companions turned to look towards the door in confusion when Potter strolled in with a smug look on is face, leaving the door wide open, betraying the absolute silence of the Great Hall beyond. A quick mental probe and Fedor was able to find the reason for the boy's presence and he honestly couldn't believe Potter's audacity. Not only had he once again cheated to enter a competition he had no business taking part in, but he had done it in such a way that there was no possible way that he could deny his guilt. He had a hard time preventing himself from laughing out loud. If there was anything that Potter could have done within Hogwarts to show the world what kind of person he truly was without Dumbledore being able to cover it up, he just did it. Not to mention the isolation he would experience from the rest of the student body.
"What ez it? Do zey want us back en ze Hall?" Fleur asked, barely concealing her contempt for the boy. She obviously thought he had been sent to deliver a message but before anyone could speak, there was a scurry of feet and Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports, entered quickly.
"Extraordinary!" Absolutely extraordinary!" He muttered as he grabbed Allen's arm and led him over to the other three students. Gentlemen… lady," He added, approaching the other three. "May I introduce… incredible though it may seem… the fourth Tri-Wizard champion." Fedor looked completely unfazed by this announcement while Cedric was looking back and forth between Allen and Bagman as though he must have misheard what the man said. Fleur, however, tossed her hair back and smiled.
"Vairy funny joke, Meester Bagman."
"Joke?" Bagman repeated, bewildered. "No, no, not at all! Allen's name just came out of the Goblet of Fire!"
"Zair must 'ave been a mistake," She said contemptuously to Bagman. "E cannot compete, Ogwarts already has its champion!"
"Well… it is amazing," Bagman rubbed his smooth chin while smiling down at Allen. "But his name did come out of the Goblet. I mean, I don't think there can be any ducking out at this stage… its down in the rules, he's obliged… Allen will just have to do the best that he can."
The door behind them opened once again and Mr. Barty Crouch, head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, followed by Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, Ivanoff, and Madam Maxime, hurried inside. The buzz of fierce whispers in the Great Hall sounded through the room before the door was closed once again.
"Madam Maxime!" Fleur said at once as she marched over to her Headmistress. "Zey are saying zat zis little boy is to compete also!" Allen's face reddened in both anger and embarrassment at being referred to as a 'little boy'.
"What ez ze meaning of zis Dumbly-dorr?" The half giant headmistress demanded.
"I would rather like to know that myself, Dumbledore," Professor Ivanoff spoke up in a dangerous tone. "Two Hogwarts champions? I don't remember anyone telling me that they host school is allowed two champions… or have I not read the rules carefully enough?"
"'Ogwarts can't 'ave two champions, et ez most unjust."
"You are most correct, Olympe! Dumbledore, you assured us that your security measures would be sufficient to prevent such an occurrence."
"It is no one's fault but Potter's, Ivanoff!" Snape said softly, his eyes glittering with malice. "Don't go blaming Dumbledore for Potter's determination to break rules. He has been crossing lines ever since he arrived here…"
"Yes, thank you, Severus," Dumbledore cut the potions master off.
"Mr. Crouch, Mr. Bagman, you are our… err… objective judges. Surely you would agree that this is most irregular?"
"We must follow the rules, and the rules state quite clearly that those people whose names come out of the Goblet are bound by magic to compete."
"Well, Barty knows the rules front to back," Bagman said beaming, turning back to Ivanoff and Maxime as if the matter were now closed.
"I insist upon resubmitting the names of the rest of my students, as well as those from Beauxbatons. We will continue adding names until all three schools have two champions. Its only fair, Dumbledore."
"But it doesn't work that way, Ivanoff." Bagman disagreed. "The Goblet of Fire has gone out. It will not reignite until the beginning of the next tournament…"
"Of which Durmstrang will most certainly not participate!" Ivanoff exploded. "After all the negotiations and compromises we did not expect something of this nature to occur. I'm of half a mind to leave now."
"Empty threat, Ivanoff." Moody growled as he stumped his way into the room. "You can't leave your champion now. He must compete. This selection is magically binding, remember."
"Alright that's enough!" Fedor snapped angrily. He was really getting tired of all the yelling. Everyone turned to look at him curiously, some in anger at being spoken to in such a way by a child. "Cedric Diggory is Hogwarts champion. Potter is nothing but a pretender. Durmstrang needs no other Champion! Beauxbatons needs no other champion! Let the little boy compete, let him show the world just how inept he truly is." Without another word, he walked out of the room all the while mentally laughing at how stupid the boy was.
