A/N: Thank you for all of the wonderful support! I really appreciate it. I would also like some reviews on how you like the story so far. Am I making things interesting enough? Constructive criticism, please... not destructive. :) This chapter should be another long chapter.

Rising Storms

A Harry Potter and Percy Jackson crossover

Chapter 37:

Harry

As soon as Harry stepped into the side room, the other champions turned to look at him. Before they could say anything, Harry pulled out the mirror. "James Potter," he said. The mirror's surface cleared and Harry's father's face appeared.

"Harry," James said. "What happened?"

Harry straightened his spine. "Your warning came true. I was called as the fourth champion."

James cursed. "I'll be right there with Madam Bones," he started to say before the door to the side room opened and Dumbledore's voice rang out.

"Harry Potter!" Dumbledore hurried over to Harry and gripped his shoulders tightly. "Tell me! Did you enter your name into the Goblet?" He shook Harry slightly.

"No."

The other champions looked at each other, shocked at the actions of the Hogwarts Headmaster, as Dumbledore asked Harry, "Did you ask an older student to put your name in for you?"

Harry sighed in frustration. "No," he said again.

"Obviously, he lies," Madame Maxine said, moving forward.

Harry glared at her. "Don't call me a liar. I don't want to die in this dang tournament."

"Who said anything about dying?" the giant woman asked, confused.

"Milady," Harry said, no longer as angry. "You only need to read about the history of the tournament to know that people have died. I have word from the DMLE that someone has tampered with the tournament, but no one expected that someone would enter my name."

"It would take a great deal of power to confound the Goblet," Moody said, slowly. "Far beyond the abilities of a fourth year, for sure." He looked Harry over.

The fireplace flared green, letting several people walk out, and one tall figure walked over to Harry and Dumbledore. "Let go of my son," James told Dumbledore. When the Headmaster did so, James looked at Harry. "How are you feeling about all of this?"

Harry scoffed at his father. "Terrified. I don't know why anyone would enter me in this death game."

"We'll find out soon, I hope." James sighed, pulling the teen into a tight hug. Harry put his mirror back in the pouch and into his pocket.

"What are your plans to find out who put Heir Potter into the Tournament?" Madame Bones asked Dumbledore.

Dumbledore said, "I don't thing there's anything we can do. We've checked for tampering... but there's no sign of it on or around the Goblet."

"Are you seriously saying that you won't even try to do anything?" James asked, looking at Dumbledore.

"We can't," said the older man. "Harry must compete."

James scoffed. "As his father, I can pull him out of the Tournament, since I didn't give my permission for his name to be entered."

Dumbledore shook his head. "The rules are the rules." He turned to Mr. Crouch. "Barty, would do you say?"

Mr. Crouch looked nervously at Dumbledore and James. "I- I have to say that Dumbledore's right. The boy must compete."

James watched as the other two school heads agreed, and sighed. "So, you are saying that my son, who didn't enter his name, has to compete against people three years older than him, with way more experience, even though I say he can't compete?"

Mr. Crouch straightened his spine. "That's exactly what I'm saying. Mr. Potter must compete since his name came out of the goblet, or he will lose his magic." He glanced at Dumbledore.

"I see," James said dangerously, looking at Amelia with a knowing look and a raised eyebrow. He looked back at the three school Heads and Mr. Crouch. "I hope you know what you just did."

"What do you mean, my boy?" Dumbledore asked, shocked and confused.

James turned away from the Headmaster and said to Harry, "Let's go, son. Amelia, I'll talk to you later." He led the way out of the side chamber and through the empty Great Hall. "Son, I know you didn't ask for this. I'm going to do all that I can to help you through this."

"Yes, sir. Thank you." Harry was still in shock, and his pale face showed that.

"You're not alone," James said, hugging Harry tightly, showing his worry that way. He led his son to the entrance of the Slytherin common room.

Harry hissed the password and the entrance opened. His housemates looked up.

"Why do you have all the cool talents," James asked in a teasing whine. "All you have to do is hiss, and I don't know what you said."

Harry smirked over his shoulder. "Just lucky, I guess." James laughed. "Thanks for the pep talk, dad."

"You're welcome, son. I'll mirror call you when I get some news." James smiled at his boy.

Harry nodded and walked into the common room. Instantly, he was surrounded by people who let him know that they supported him and were worried. Harry sighed in relief. They knew he didn't do this...

Harry was in Potions class when second year Gryffindor Colin Creevy entered the classroom.

"Forgive me, Professor," the boy asked. "But if it's alright, I need to take Harry Potter to the Weighing of the Wands."

Professor Snape looked over at Harry. Harry shrugged and then nodded. He would go, since he was being forced to participate. "Very well," Professor Snape said.

Harry left his things with his friends and walked towards the back of the classroom. As he passed the girls in Slytherin, he noticed the slight glance from Daphne and blushed slightly. She was still so beautiful.

The room where the ceremony would happen was already full when Harry arrived. "Good," said Ludo Bagman. "Our fourth champion is here. We can get started."

Rita Skeeter attempted to grab Harry and drag him from the room for an interview, but Harry stepped back and glared at her. "I'm sorry, MISS Skeeter, but I will not be dragged off by some gossip rag reporter who is only going to lie about what she writes. Be thankful that you haven't assaulted me physically, or I'd bring my full political power to squash you like a bug." Harry watched her pale. Hmm... That was interesting.

"You- You don't have that kind of power," Rita said.

Harry smirked. "I have the backing of the Potter name and the Blacks. Choose your next action wisely." Harry turned and greeted the other champions.

"Wow, Potter," Cedric said. "I haven't seen her back off so quickly before." He grinned before that fell and he continued, "My father's not happy that you are competing. He thinks that you are trying to steal my spotlight, even though I told him that someone else was trying to sabotage the tournament."

Harry smiled wryly. "It's understandable for him to think that. I don't blame him."

Cedric smiled.

Victor asked in his heavy accent, "Is Skeeter truly one of those reporters that lie with every word they put on paper?"

"Pretty much," Harry and Cedric chorused.

"How despicable," Fleur said.

Their attention was drawn by Olivander, who examined their wands one at a time... making sure that they were all in working order. He praised each of the wands. When he was done, they were photographed together and then they were able to leave.

Harry decided to head to the Great Hall to meet up with his friends. He would be a little early to lunch, but he would rather that then go back to the Potions classroom right now.

A half hour later, Draco came into the hall and sat down next to Harry. "There you are! How did it go?"

"It was eventful," Harry sighed. "Rita tried dragging me off to do an interview with me as 'the youngest champion' but we both know that she just wanted to create gossip about me."

"How did you stop her?" Draco asked after he sneered at her actions.

Harry smirked. "I told her that I had the backing of the Potters and the Blacks and that she better by glad that I didn't bring my full political power down on her to squash her like a bug."

Draco laughed, drawing attention to them. "I can't wait to see what she does now. If she steps out of line, this is going to get even more interesting."

The next morning, Harry looked at the Daily Prophet in shocked outrage. He turned to Draco who looked up from his breakfast. "You just had to jinx it, didn't you Draco?"

"What?" Draco was handed the newspaper and he stared. "Oh... Well, I guess you can sue her for defamation now," he said. Then he went back to reading the article again, this time aloud for those that were leaning in to hear what Rita had written.

"'Mr. Harry James Potter, age 12, came out as the fourth champion in the Triwizard Tournament on Halloween night.'"

"I didn't know you were gay, Harry," Draco joked.

Harry pushed his friend's head to the side. "Just read what she said."

Draco snickered. "'Because he hasn't said how he got chosen by the goblet, it's assumed that he cheated his way in. Barty Crouch Senior and the school heads were flummoxed on how a twelve year old could bypass the security of the aged goblet.

"Never before have we seen anything like it," said Mr. Crouch. "There were no signs of tampering; everyone that stepped over the age line was -in fact- of age."

The Weasel twins, Federic and Gregus, were given long white beards when they tried getting over the line, so one has to wonder if the young boy asked a seventh year to enter him into the tournament.

Before the champions' names were called, Harry Potter was heard saying that he would love to be chosen, for the glory. Even his former friend, Ronald Pit, formerly Weasel, said to his fellow Gryffindor, "Potter always gets what he wants. He only got to meet Krum at the World cup because he's Slytherin's celebrity."

I'm going to leave it here, but I have a question for you: Is Harry Potter a cheat, or is he just a victim in this tragic tournament?'"

"You skipped some of the article," Harry said. "But thank you."

Draco smirked. "Yes, well, I didn't think you wanted me to read the part where she implied that your sister still has a thing for you even after finding out that she was never Ginny Weasley."

Harry lunged at Draco with a mock raged yell. He wrapped one arm around his friend and pressed his knuckles to the fluffy blond hair. "Take it back! Take it back!"

The other Slytherins laughed at the two fourth years, setting off a ripple effect of laughter throughout the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables. Even a few of the teachers smiled at the two boys.

Harry spent the morning in his classes, thankful that his friends supported him wholeheartedly. In Divination, Trelawney told him, "Your heavier workload will be your doom if you don't take care of yourself."

Harry smiled at her. "I have a feeling that I'll have all the time in the world to get it all done." He winked, making her look at him closely.

"You have the gift of foresight?" She asked.

Harry shrugged. "Or I just listen to my intuition." He sat down on his cushion at the table beside Lavender and Pavarti. He was alone at his table, since Hermione Granger had dropped the class last year.

"Today, class, we are going to be looking in crystal balls. You each have one before you. Your assignment today is to look into the crystal ball, clear your mind, and 'see' your closest future. Your homework will be to write a two foot essay on what your crystal ball showed you and what you think the vision means for you."

The majority of the class groaned at the thought of already having homework at the beginning of the class. The two Gryffindors beside Harry eagerly got started on the assignment and talking about what they saw. Harry took a few deep breaths, clearing his mind, and then he looked into the crystal ball. The crystal ball started out cloudy, but then it started to clear. Rocks filled the view inside the crystal ball, and a moment later, a blast of fire shot out towards Harry. He flung himself back from the crystal ball, pale-faced.

His classmates jerked around to look at Harry. "What's up?" Lavender asked. "What did you see?"

Harry's wide eyes looked at her. "Fire," he said. "It came right at me." The other students started chatting, becoming a buzz of noise that Harry started to tune out after a moment. He was horrified about what the fire could mean for him. He wrote a quick note about what he saw and the possible outcomes of the vision, before the class was over. Harry makes his way to the Great Hall after his morning classes, lost in thought as he moved.

"Harry, what's wrong?" Theo asked as he sat down next to Harry at the table.

Harry told Theo what he had seen in the crystal ball as a raven flew into the Great Hall and turned towards Harry. Harry's eyes followed the raven, wondering what was going on. The raven gracefully landed before him, and Harry took the parchment. "Thank you," he said. "Do you need a reply?" The raven gave him a hard look, waiting impatiently. Harry nodded and opened the letter.

'Heir Potter-Black-Peverell,

It has come to my attention that your name came out of the Goblet of Fire. Investigating the situation, I found a subsection of the bylaws of the Tournament that only an 'of age' wixen may participate. By having all three school headmasters and a Ministry official force you to compete, and by you completing the Weighing of the Wands, you were acknowledged as an adult.

Congratulations, and I hope that you will continue to have me as your account manager. If you choose to keep me on, along with the monthly account statements, I will pass along packets of investment opportunities and information about your accounts and how to be a well-rounded adult.

Riptooth,

Potter account manager'

Harry stared at the letter before him. This was a lot to take in! He jumped into action, so that the raven didn't attack him for taking too long, and pulled out a piece of parchment and self-inking quill. He wrote a quick thank you and acceptance letter and attached it to the raven's leg. "Please take this back to Riptooth." The raven cawed and took off.

"Everything okay?" Blaise asked, looking up from his lunch. Draco turned his head away from Daphne and her little sister to look at Harry.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Harry replied, putting the letter in his bag. His friends nodded and went back to eating. Harry's thoughts turned back to the vision in the crystal ball. What could the rocks and fire mean for him?

The Hogwarts Library, with its towering shelves and the scent of parchment, became Harry's refuge during the hectic days leading up to the first task of the Triwizard Tournament. The weight of academic responsibilities and the looming challenge demanded every ounce of his focus.

Fred and George passed Harry a note on their way through the bookshelves to read books about prank-like spells. George winked at Harry as Harry picked up the note.

'Our brother, Charlie, just arrived at Hogwarts. The first task is Dragons. Be careful.'

One evening, Harry sat at a secluded table, surrounded by books on Dragons and advanced spellwork. The library offered a quiet sanctuary where he could immerse himself in his studies. The flickering candlelight cast a warm glow on the pages of his Charms book as he wrestled with complex incantations.

Peony, sensing her brother's stress, approached quietly. "Hey, Harry. Need a break?"

Harry looked up, his tired eyes meeting Peony's concerned gaze. "I wish. The first task is just around the corner, and I feel like I'm drowning in homework." He didn't speak about the time turner that he had been given again that year, since he still wasn't allowed to tell others about it. He used his 'extra hours' to study for his classes, since he spent so much time on the Tournament and his heirship training.

Peony took a seat across from him. "You've got this, Harry. You always do. But you can't push yourself too hard. Have you at least taken a moment to prepare for the task itself?"

Harry sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I've been trying, but it's not easy. Facing a dragon is no joke. Moody's been pushing me, but there's only so much I can do without knowing which type of dragon I would face."

Peony nodded thoughtfully. "Maybe you need a different perspective. I heard the Slytherin Common Room has some helpful books on magical creatures. Wanna check it out?"

Despite her being a Gryffindor, Peony's willingness to support him in the Slytherin Common Room touched Harry. "Sure, let's give it a shot. I'll take any advice I can get."

In the Slytherin Common Room, after getting permission for his sister to join him for the afternoon, Harry found himself poring over books on dragons with Peony by his side. Her presence was comforting. As the night wore on, Harry immersed himself in the information on dragons, worrying about what type he'd have to face.

Peony asked him, "What if you could speak to the dragon?"

"Peony, you're a genius!" He hugged her gently.

Peony whispered in his ear, "You've got the heart of a lion, Harry. Face that dragon with the courage of a Gryffindor."

Harry chuckled, pulling back. "And the cunning of a Slytherin, right?"

Peony grinned. "Absolutely."

The next evening, the day before the first task, Harry called for his dad, using the two-way mirror he had.

James's face appeared in the mirror. Behind him was Lily Potter's portrait. "Harry, what's up?" James asked.

Harry smiled slightly. "I'm just a little nervous," he said.

"You'll do fine. Whatever the task is, you will beat it."

Harry shook his head. "That would be so much easier if it wasn't dragons." He saw his parents' shocked expressions and continued, "Peony came up with the idea of me trying to speak parseltongue to the dragon. I'm going to try that."

Lily looked worried. "Why would Dumbledore allow dragons near students?"

"Why would Dumbledore tell Molly Pruitt that Peony didn't have a family?" Harry responded with another question.

His parents looked at each other, before James looked back at Harry. "Be very careful. I can't believe this... I'll be there tomorrow to watch you and make sure that you're okay."

...

When Cedric had faced his dragon, the crowd screamed in fear. When Fleur faced her dragon, there were 'oohs' and jeers. Victor did well, until eggs were crushed. Harry was worried, though, because he got the Horntail to face.

Harry stepped out of the tent, worry all over his face. The crowd became silent immediately. He looked around, trying to find the dragon. There! The dragon was watching him warily, curled around her nest. Harry took a deep breath and stepped forward. He wasn't sure his plan would work.

"Good morning, O Great One," Harry said, hearing his voice come out in a hissing undertone. He nearly sighed in relief, when he saw the dragon's head tilt to the side.

She watched him as he stepped closer. "Why do you hunt me, young speaker?" She asked warily.

Harry blinked. "I don't hunt you, great lady." He shook his head. "The people in charge of this tournament is forcing us to gather the fake egg in your nest."

"Fake egg?" She looked over her nest, nudging each egg, before she hissed in anger. She rolled the golden egg out of her nest and towards the boy. "Take it, young speaker. Also, these other eggs don't smell like mine. Find my real eggs, and you shall be my new hatchling." She sounded smug, as if she was going to call Harry 'hatchling' either way.

Harry smiled, bowing deeply to the dragon before picking up the golden egg. He turned to the judges and magnified his voice. "Today could have ended in disaster," Harry said. "You led us to believe that if we crushed the real eggs, we'd only lose points. If these were the real dragon eggs, the consequences would have been much worse... it would have been the possible extinction of a species." He looked up at the judges at their protests.

One person was heard clearly, "Of course we used real dragon eggs. We told the dragon handlers not to switch them out."

Harry glared at the man. "Then, if they hadn't, you would have caused a war with the Romanian Government." Whispers broke out in the crowd. Harry turned to the Handlers. "The dragons get their true eggs back, or there will be hell to pay." He removed the magnifying spell on his voice and spoke to the Hungarian Horntail. "Milady, they will return your eggs or I will fight them for the eggs."

The dragon stretched her neck out and nuzzled Harry's hair. "Thank you, hatchling."