Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Chapter 42 – Beauxbatons and Durmstrang

With Bill, and the goblin spell's, help, the four made leaps and bounds in their occlumency training. Snape was in shock. He knew there must be some truth to this spell he'd never heard of, for Bill would never joke about something that would offer a great deal of protection for his siblings and their friends, but he never thought the three teens would have developed shields within a week, and be able to resist his intrusion within two. By a month they were able to keep him out completely and Snape began to test them in the finer points of occlumency. While repelling a full-frontal attack was definitely a necessity, there would be those who tried to stealthily read their thoughts and it was undoubtedly harder to stop an intruder you didn't know was there. At random times – at dinner, in the corridors, or even during class – Snape would try to enter their minds without them knowing. At the moment it was about a fifty/fifty chance they would recognize his intrusion, but it was years ahead of where Snape thought they would be.

Given their quick progress Snape could see why the goblins wanted to keep such a spell secret. Every single Death Eater would kill to have them, and their family's, minds so protected, and Snape shuddered to think what would happen if the Dark Lord returned and he couldn't read anyone's mind. Legilimency was a favourite manner of Voldemort's to ensure his servants were being truthful with him and given the complexity of occlumency, Voldemort's skill at legilimency, and his arrogance that none could best him it was rare that other measures were necessary. However, if they became necessary there would be chaos. What little trust Voldemort had in his followers, and what little trust they had in each other, would be gone and Snape had no doubt that the torturing would increase from occasional punishment to daily as assurance that he wasn't being lied to. Of course, Voldemort wasn't the reason the goblins cared about secrecy, as a rule the goblins couldn't care less what happened between wizards, but it was what would most affect Snape, and for that reason alone the potions master would be locking away the existence of this spell behind his most secure shields.

With the progress in their training it wasn't a surprise that October arrived before they knew it, and along with it the arrival of some special guests.

"Potter, comb your hair!" McGonagall barked. All the students were lined up outside with the professors prowling around, barking orders and making sure they all looked presentable. Harry tried to flatten his hair and muttered that McGonagall should have told him to comb his hair while they were still in the tower where his comb was, but thankfully his head of house didn't hear him. They had been preparing for the arrival of the international delegates for a month now, though the majority of the student population hadn't been informed of this, or the reason for the visit, until a couple weeks ago. Harry, however, had shared with his friends, swearing them to secrecy as Cornelius had done him. The Minister had been heavily involved in the plans for the return of the Triwizard Tournament and hadn't been able to hide it from his ward, so Harry had known since the beginning of the summer when the deal had been finalized. He hadn't known any other details though, just that the tournament was being reinstated and that Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, the other schools that had originally been involved, had agreed to participate. Now the time was upon them and the students from other schools were arriving, and the tournament would officially start this evening with the lighting of the Goblet of Fire, the ancient artifact that would choose the champions from each school.

Beauxbatons was the first to arrive, their students dressed in silk that had no business being worn in the Scottish highlands in October. They were quickly ushered inside, the Hogwarts students barely getting a glimpse of them, though they all could see their headmistress, Madame Maxime, who was even taller than Hagrid. There was little doubt that she too was half-giant, though the giant side was clearly more prominent. Durmstrang arrived several minutes later, their own students wearing fur lined cloaks and hats appropriate for the northern European location of their school, and that was more than a match for the Scottish winter to come. Their highmaster, Igor Karkaroff, was much less visible than his Beauxbatons' counterpart, being a full-blooded human, but what glimpse Harry got of him sent a shiver down his spine. He has been warned of Karkaroff, by both Cornelius and Sirius and Remus. All three had informed him of Karkaroff's past as a Death Eater, though Cornelius assured Harry that he posed no threat. Sirius and Remus weren't so sure. They told Harry that Karkaroff had only gotten off because he'd ratted out his fellow Death Eaters, and that no one really stopped being a Death Eater, if for no other reason than betraying Voldemort got you killed. They were immensely relieved that Remus would still be in the school, he being the first Defence Against the Dark Arts professor in over a decade to last more than a year, and also that Sirius' former boss had come out of retirement to assist him. Alastor 'Mad-Eye'Moody had been the Head Auror at the Ministry for many years, his paranoia serving him well as a dark wizard catcher, and had retired just before Harry started at Hogwarts. The former auror was known to Harry, having met him several times since becoming Cornelius' charge, and he too had to admit that having Mad-Eye at Hogwarts was a relief.

Officially he was there to take over Remus' classes during the full-moon, Dumbledore having called in a favour from his old friend to bring him out of retirement. Remus' condition as a werewolf had been quietly revealed at the end of term last year during the chaos leading up to Pettigrew's trial. Many of the school governors were also on the Wizengamot and so had been so busy with the trial that the bombshell of a werewolf teaching at Hogwarts paled in comparison, which is exactly why Dumbledore chose to tell them at that time. It was a stroke of genius, Harry had to admit. While there was no law prohibiting a werewolf from teaching at the school – one of the few places where such prohibitive laws weren't in place – the governors would no doubt have overruled the appointment. By going a whole year with no issues, Dumbledore had a year's worth of proof that it was safe for Remus to teach and choosing his timing so well to reveal all meant that his own duplicity garnered barely a slap on the wrist when Dumbledore had gone to the governors for approval to hire Remus for another year. In the chaos of Pettigrew's escape Remus' employment had been forgotten completely until a week before the start of term when some of the more prejudiced of the governors began making waves. It was then that Dumbledore contacted Moody, having such a decorated auror at the school to protect their children should anything happen stopped most of their complaints, while the others could be ignored as mere noise and not genuine concerns. While appointing someone to cover Remus' classes for a few days a month was actually a good idea, having a former Head Auror as that person was excessive, and Harry had little doubt it had more to do with Karkaroff's presence than Remus'.

"Blimey it's him. It's Viktor Krum!" Ron's gasp brought Harry back from his thoughts and he followed his friend's gaze to see that indeed the famous quidditch star was striding across the courtyard dressed in the Durmstrang uniform.

"Right, I forgot he was still in school." Harry said nonchalantly and Ron shot him a look. "What?"

"Only you could be so casual about Viktor Krum, Harry." Ron said and Ginny rolled her eyes. After the Durmstrang delegation made their way inside the Hogwarts students were finally allowed out of the cold and into the Great Hall where a feast had been planned. This was not like any feast any of them had attended before though, for their professors were keeping such a watchful eye to ensure they were all on their best behaviour that their own dinners went uneaten, none of them trusting the students enough to take their eyes off them. Afterwards Dumbledore stood up and explained that the Goblet of Fire would be lit until Halloween night when the names of the chosen three would be announced. Anyone wishing to enter the tournament merely had to write their name on a piece of paper and put it into the Goblet before then. Fred and George looked quite eager to enter until Dumbledore announced that only those of age would be allowed to compete. The twins led the cries of outrage that followed, their seventeenth birthday was only six months away, they shouted, but Ginny quickly put a stop to it with a well-placed comment that combined guilt, threats and blackmail, should the twins try to enter the tournament anyways. Ron looked at his little sister in both awe and fear at how quickly she had neutralized the twins, while Percy, who had been about to jump in when the twins began their protests, looked on Ginny proudly before marching the twins back to Gryffindor tower when the feast ended, adding his own threats as they went.

"Eternal glory…would be nice though, if we were of age." Said Ron, as the four followed their housemates back up to the tower.

"Better you than me." Harry joked, and Ginny squeezed his hand. It was said in jest, but she knew he meant it. Between being the Boy-Who-Lived, the ward of the Minister of Magic, and having slayed a basilisk when he was only twelve, Harry had had enough fame to last him several lifetimes. The following few days found the quartet spending what free time they had in the Great Hall, watching who put their name into the Goblet of Fire. Most of the school chose this pastime, though, so they were hardly alone. They watched as the Beauxbatons students arrived in two orderly lines, each putting their name in under the watchful eye of their headmistress, before promptly departing in the same orderly lines. They watched as several Hogwarts students entered their names, some, like Angelina, were unsurprising, while others, like the quiet and well-mannered Hufflepuff, Cedric Diggory, were unexpected. They watched as well as on day before Halloween, the Durmstrang students put their names in as well. Unlike their French counterparts they appeared to have no orderliness to them, though it was noted that Karkaroff kept Viktor Krum back until there was no one around the Goblet, allowing the Bulgarian seeker to enter his name alone, and with the eyes of every person in the Great Hall on him. It was clear that Karkaroff expected him to be the Durmstrang champion, and Harry winced at the kind of pressure Krum must be feeling, though he gave no sign of it. Finally Halloween arrived and with it a sense of excitement normally reserved only for quidditch matches. The Great Hall was also filled beyond capacity, and Harry wouldn't be surprised if magic, more magic than usual that is, was at work to accommodate them all. Aside from the students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, who sat at tables placed as extensions of the Ravenclaw and Slytherin tables, there were also several Ministry and international delegates in attendance for this momentous occasion, including Cornelius and the Bulgarian and French Ministers.

"Your attention please!" Dumbledore called out, silencing the hall. "The Goblet of Fire appears ready to make its decision." Every head turned to the goblet, seeing that indeed the normally tame blue flames had grown and were even now turning red. "Now, when the champions' names are called, I would ask them please to come up to the top of the Hall, walk along the staff table, and go through into the next chamber," Dumbledore pointed to the door off the side of the staff table that led to the trophy room. "Where they will be receiving their first instructions." As if waiting for that exact moment, the Goblet of Fire flared to blazing life and shot out a piece of paper, which Dumbledore caught.

"The Durmstrang champion is…Viktor Krum!" The hall burst into applause, though none were louder than Viktor's highmaster.

"Bravo Viktor!" Karkaroff boomed. Viktor himself looked as relieved as he was happy as he made his way to the front, shook hands with Dumbledore, Madame Maxime, and received a hug from Karkaroff before making his way to the trophy room. When he was gone the hall turned their attention back to the Goblet in time to see its flames turn red once more and another piece of paper shoot out.

"The champion for Beauxbatons, is Fleur Delacour!" Again the hall broke into applause and this time a young lady with silver hair, who many of Harry's classmates called the most beautiful woman they'd ever seen – though Harry himself wisely insisted that to be Ginny – stood and made her way to the front, shaking hands with each of the heads of the three schools before following Viktor into the trophy room.

"Oh look, they're all disappointed." Hermione said, pointing to the other Beauxbatons students. While the other Durmstrang students had neither looked surprised nor put out that Viktor was selected, telling Harry that like their highmaster they had expected this outcome, a few of the Beauxbatons students had actually burst into tears. Their sorrow though was otherwise ignored as the Goblet of Fire turned red once more, spitting out the last name.

"Our Hogwarts champion is…Cedric Diggory!" That was an outcome not really expected, but also not unwelcome. Harry couldn't claim to know Cedric well, but his father, Amos, was well respected at the Ministry so he had met the older boy several times and knew him to be as competent as he was kind. Cedric rose to cheers from his classmates, his fellow Hufflepuffs having never cheered louder, and made his way to the front. Karkaroff and Madame Maxine shook his hand, as did Dumbledore, who wore an almost proud smile for his school's champion, though it was Cedric's head of house, Professor Sprout, who garnered a laugh when she accosted him on his way to the trophy room, beaming brightly. Cedric looked mildly embarrassed and eventually escaped her cutches before giving his friends in Hufflepuff, who were still on their feet cheering, a wave and making his way through the door.

"Excellent! We now have our three champions." Dumbledore announced. "I am sure I can count upon all of you, including the remaining students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, to give your champions every ounce of support you can muster. By cheering your champion on, you will contribute in a very real-" Dumbledore cut off and the reason why was obvious: the Goblet of Fire had once again turned red. Varying degrees of shock were worn by all as the flames flickered between red and blue, their height and liveliness changing as it appeared that the goblet was warring with itself. Eventually though sparks shot out as the flames flared up, spitting out another piece of paper. Dumbledore caught it and stared at it for several moments before raising his eyes, looking out across the gathered students and reading out the name:

"Harry Potter."

A/N - Review please!