On the thirtieth of October, students from Beauxbatons in France and Durmstrang in Bulgaria came to Hogwarts for the Triwizard Tournament. Among the Beauxbatons students, the most striking one was the dazzling beauty, Fleur Delacour. However, there was another student who caught Harry's attention, a girl with strikingly familiar green eyes and red-blond hair. He couldn't take his eyes off her. The two occasionally locked eyes. The raven-haired boy only watched Durmstrang students when Ron cried Victor Krum's name.
The next morning, Hollowe'en, after finishing breakfast and leaving, the Beauxbatons student with green eyes approached Harry and asked to talk. So, they found an unused classroom on the first floor. The Beauxbatons girl showed Harry a family tree written behind the cover of the Bible and said that her mother and Harry's mother seemed to be cousins. Harry stared at a family tree and found two names that appeared on her fingertip: Petunia and Lily. In addition, she showed Harry an old photo of several girls. Harry could see his mum who seemed to be 7 or 8 years old and a teenage girl who had the same green eyes as the Beauxbatons student, who turned out to be her mum.
Looking at her identical green eyes, she introduced herself as "Isabelle Laurent" but asked to be called "Izzy" and extended her hand for a handshake. Harry happily shook hands with her.
Harry had never thought that he had a witch or wizard cousin, particularly from his mother's side. It felt like he found a sibling who didn't know its presence.
Izzy told him about her family. Her mum used to work as a teacher in London and fell in love with her French father and got married, and they moved to France. However, she vaguely remembered a cousin named "Lily Evans" with the same green eyes as her because Lily was 9 years younger than her. Izzy said that she was the only witch in her family and that she had searched for any wizard or witch among her father's relatives or ancestors after entering Beauxbatons but found no one. She came to Britain with the hope that there might be a Hogwarts student among her mother's relatives. And when she saw Harry's green eyes the previous night, she became convinced. Then she asked about Harry's life.
Harry didn't want to introduce himself as the Boy Who Lived to his magical world relatives whom he met for the first time. He simply said that his parents had fought against Voldemort and died, and he grew up with his Aunt Petunia until he received the Hogwarts acceptance letter. He mentioned that he didn't know he was a wizard before that. Izzy sincerely comforted Harry and regretted not meeting him sooner. She explained that her mother and Auntie Petunia were cousins but not very close, and after she moved to France, they barely kept in touch.
Harry and Izzy spent a lot of time together, sharing stories about their lives. Izzy was in her sixth year but turned seventeen on the previous night she arrived at Hogwarts, making her eligible to put her name in the Goblet of Fire. She also planned to enroll in a military academy after graduation since she was influenced by her general grandfather. Harry learned for the first time that wizards and witches could also operate in the Muggle world.
In the afternoon, Harry introduced his distant cousin Izzy to Ron and Hermione. Then Izzy also introduced Harry to her Beauxbatons friends.
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In the evening, after Harry became the fourth champion, he insisted that he had never intended to participate, but the adults said that everyone must participate. Only Moody told Harry that someone powerful must have put a strong Confundus Charm on the Goblet of Fire to make him a fourth champion and said it seemed like someone wanted to kill him.
After the gathering ended, Harry met Izzy waiting in the corridor, who advised him to take the Wizard's Oath if he felt that the students wouldn't believe in his innocence. Surprised by the unexpected advice, Harry asked if it was necessary. But Izzy knew about the suspicions the Hogwarts students had about him being the heir of Slytherin in his second year and taught him how to take the oath.
As Harry entered the Gryffindor common room, witnessing a party taking place, Harry realised that Izzy was right and immediately took the Wizard's Oath with Sonorus charm, stating that he hadn't put his name in the Goblet of Fire, hadn't asked anyone else to do it, and had no intention of participating in the tournament but couldn't refuse due to the Binding Magical Contract. Disheartened, Harry hurriedly went to his dormitory, but Ron, despite hearing the oath, still doubted Harry's innocence. This led to a heated argument between the two.
The next day, on Sunday morning, Harry woke up a bit late and went down to the Great Hall. However, he was greatly disappointed by the looks and expressions of the Gryffindor students who had already eaten breakfast and saw him. At that moment, Hermione came out of the Hall and took Harry outside. Believing in Harry's innocence, Hermione advised him that Ron's jealousy was the cause and promised to help him prepare for the Triwizard Tournament. When they returned to the castle, they met with Izzy and discussed what they would do next.
First, Harry internally decided to inform Sirius that he had been chosen as the fourth champion. Then, the three of them reviewed the Triwizard Tournament records brought by Izzy; its amounts were as good as encyclopaedia, and learned that in the first task, they would have to prove their courage by facing a typically dangerous creature.
After the discussion was over and before going to dinner, Izzy asked to have a private conversation with Harry. She asked him various questions and pointed out how Harry seemed disinterested in matters related to himself and the British wizarding society, given that he hardly knew anything about their customs and his own family. As a descendant of the revolutionary people who beheaded the king, she couldn't bear to see her cousin being treated unfairly. So Izzy encouraged Harry not to rely on Dumbledore or his friends but to strive to solve his problems on his own. Moreover, she criticized the Hogwarts headmaster for not announcing how Harry became a champion against his will to the school this morning. She argued that teachers should protect their students, and Madam Maxim told Beauxbatons students how Harry became a champion in the morning. Harry realised he had never actively tried to solve any unfair situation he had faced because he had only received threats from the Dursley family when he dared to ask them questions, and teachers in the primary school and Hogwarts never helped him in any way.
That evening, while having dinner together, Harry went up to the High Table and took the same Sonorus charm he used in the Gryffindor common room to make the magical oath. However, this time he summoned a large silver stag using the Patronus charm, which surprised everyone in the hall. Realising that the expressions of the teachers and pure-blood students towards him had changed, Harry smiled and returned to his seat. After finishing the meal, he received enthusiastic hugs and compliments from Izzy outside the Hall, and hearing that the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students also believed in his innocence, Harry felt good. However, Ron still had a troubled expression as he looked at Harry, which dampened his mood a little.
Afterward, Harry met Neville in the Gryffindor common room and went outside to a nearby empty classroom. There, Harry asked various questions about the British wizarding society. Through this conversation, he learned that his family, the Potters, were wealthy and had a prestigious lineage similar to the Malfoys. The wealthy families' estate was managed by a Gringotts representative who also handled various household matters through a solicitor, dealing with financial issues and more. Harry also learned about the magical law enforcement division and the Wizengamot, and the head of DMLE was Susan Bones's aunt, who was a Hufflepuff student.
That night, Harry couldn't sleep, pondering how abnormal everything that had happened to him so far was, and contemplating how he should respond to the ways of the wizarding society.
After much consideration, Harry resolved to first find the culprit who had compelled him to participate in the Triwizard Tournament. The evening after the next day, following dinner, Harry arranged through Neville to create an opportunity to speak privately with Susan Bones. He decided to inform Amelia Bones, the Head of the Magical Law Enforcement Department, about the current situation and requested her to send a letter asking for the investigation of the culprit. Fortunately, Susan Bones believed in Harry's innocence. As a condition for sending the letter to her aunt, she asked Harry to buy Butterbeer on the Hogsmeade visit day, a request to which Harry gladly agreed.
Around the end of lunchtime the next day, Amelia Bones, accompanied by Aurors, came to Hogwarts and went directly to the Headmaster's office to hear the situation from Dumbledore, McGonagall, Moody, and Harry. They also collected the Goblet of Fire and extracted memories from Harry. Dumbledore insisted that he would handle finding the culprit himself, considering it was a school matter. However, Bones, acknowledging the seriousness of the situation, insisted that it was crucial to find the culprit as soon as possible, even if it required assistance from the Department of Mysteries. She emphasised the various dangers Susan, her niece, had faced at Hogwarts from the troll invasion to the Chamber of Secrets incident, Slytherin's monster, and the Dementor intrusion during the Quidditch match. She stressed that events at Hogwarts had surpassed the level that could be left to the discretion of the school, especially to successfully conclude the Triwizard Tournament, finding the person who put Harry Potter's name in the Goblet of Fire was important. Moody also proposed to find the culprit but was declined.
A few days later, Amelia Bones and the Aurors were surprised by the conversation in Harry Potter's memory between Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew. Upon checking all the records related to Sirius Black, they discovered that he had been arrested without a trial and immediately imprisoned in Azkaban. To rectify this grave injustice, Bones promptly sent an owl to Harry, requesting cooperation to reexamine the Sirius Black case.
The raven-haired boy quickly sent a letter to his godfather, explaining the situation, and later received a message from Sirius, stating that he had been in contact with Bones secretly for the investigation. Thus, hope soared that the innocence of the godfather would be revealed. Harry wanted to express his gratitude to Izzy about Sirius. However, since she did not know her godfather, he decided to keep it to himself and Hermione for now.
Regardless of Harry's high spirit, Malfoy tried to get under Harry's skin by sneering that someone had manipulated things to make him a Triwizard champion, in addition to the fame of Boy Who Lived. However, Harry coolly responded that he wasn't interested in being a champion that nobody remembers and that the Ministry of Magic was looking for the culprit, so he would wait. This led to a hexing duel in the corridor. Hermione's front teeth enlarged, sending her to the hospital wing, and Harry escaped Snape's wrath, thanks to a wand-weighing ceremony. However, his mood was significantly dampened when he met Rita Skeeter, a journalist, and was bombarded with interview requests. Nevertheless, when asked about becoming a champion, he stated that someone put his name in to get him killed, and the Ministry was investigating. After that, he steadfastly ignored Rita Skeeter's questions.
A few days later, the Daily Prophet's front page carried an article accusing Dumbledore of incompetence for allowing Boy Who Lived to be forced into the Triwizard Tournament. Other champions' photos and interviews were pushed to the background. Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, along with Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students, criticised Rita Skeeter and the Daily Prophet, and some directed unfavorable glances at Harry. However, Hermione and Izzy comforted Harry earnestly, providing him with solace amid the turmoil.
Meanwhile, after a long investigation, the Department of Mysteries finally identified the culprit behind the Goblet of Fire tampering. To their disbelief, it turned out to be Barty Crouch Jr., whom they had believed to be dead a long time ago. Despite their skepticism, Bones and the Aurors decided to start the investigation with Crouch Sr.
During the interrogation in the examination room, the Aurors could see Crouch Sr.'s abnormal responses and eventually realised that he was under the Imperius Curse. After lifting the curse, Crouch disclosed all the horrifying truth, from switching his nearly dead wife to his son. His last memory was of Peter Pettigrew and You-Know-Who coming to his house.
Prompted by this revelation, Aurors, under Bones' orders, swiftly raided Crouch's house, successfully arresting Peter Pettigrew and You-Know-Who. Concerned about Voldemort's eerie condition, Bones called in the head of the Department of Mysteries for a discussion, ultimately deciding to examine his temporary corporeal form.
In the case of Pettigrew, after using the truth serum on him and conducting an interrogation, they discovered that he was indeed the betrayer of the Potters, responsible for the deaths of twelve Muggles, and had framed Sirius Black as well. Additionally, he revealed that Voldemort, in his quest for a new body, had ordered Crouch Jr. to infiltrate Hogwarts as Moody, coercing Harry Potter into participating in the Triwizard Tournament.
The next day, Bones and the Aurors revisited Hogwarts, pretending to discuss new information with the fake Moody. They incapacitated him, arrested him, and found the real Moody in the office trunk. Dumbledore and McGonagall were astonished, but following Bones' request, they summoned Harry to the Headmaster's office and heard the whole truth together.
Dumbledore, blaming himself for not suspecting the fake Moody, apologised to Harry. The raven-haired boy, though surprised, was pleased that the perpetrator who had put him in the Triwizard Cup and Pettigrew was apprehended.
After returning to the Ministry, Bones ordered Crouch Jr.'s investigation. Then she entered the Minister's office and revealed all the facts and demanded the immediate acknowledgment of Sirius Black's innocence and a trial for Pettigrew. Minister Fudge was taken aback but agreed in the end. And, having already arrested the culprits, he followed Bones' request to hold a press conference to announce Sirius Black's innocence and made a formal apology. In addition, he exposed the conspiracy involving Pettigrew, Crouch's crimes to release his son illegally, and Crouch Jr.'s involvement in You-Know-Who's resurrection plot using Harry Potter in the Triwizard Tournament.
The next morning, the front page of the Daily Prophet was adorned with the Minister's press conference. It was astonishing enough that Sirius Black was actually innocent but had been imprisoned in Azkaban for twelve years without a trial. Equally shocking was the revelation that Peter Pettigrew, presumed dead, was the real culprit. However, the stern idealist Barty Crouch had secretly rescued his son from Azkaban, placed him under the Imperius Curse, and concealed him. His once-pitied son turned out to be truly embracing the darkness, and with the help of Pettigrew and the Dark Lord, he attacked Moody, assumed his identity, manipulated the Triwizard Cup at Hogwarts, and forced the Boy Who Lived to participate – an incredibly shocking revelation.
The Great Hall was enveloped in shock, but Harry was happy. Hermione couldn't hide her amazement, but she managed to compose herself and congratulated her best friend. Neville, too, expressed joy for discovering the culprits who put Harry in danger and killed his parents. Ron seemed hesitant to say something, a guilt-ridden expression on his face, and he focused on his meal instead. After the meal, Harry met with Susan Bones outside the Great Hall to express gratitude and receive congratulations. Izzy, with a bright smile, hugged Harry tightly, congratulating him for solving all the problems with his own strength.
That evening, a letter from Sirius elevated Harry's happiness to its peak. Since Sirius had cleared his name, he planned to comfortably recover from his weakened state in the St. Mungo's Hospital with the aid of Remus, regain custody of Harry, and live together from the next summer. Harry was ecstatic at the prospect of leaving Privet Drive, clearing his name completely, and living with Sirius, his godfather and the best friend of his father.
The trial began promptly, and with all the crimes committed by Peter Pettigrew, who had become the Death Eater, exposed, the Order of Merlin was revoked, and he received a life sentence in Azkaban. Due to his Animagus form being a rat, he remained incarcerated with magical inhibiting handcuffs for the rest of his life. Crouch Sr. also received a prison sentence for illegally rescuing his son and unjustly imprisoning Sirius Black in Azkaban without a trial. Barty Crouch Jr. was returned to his original cell.
Meanwhile, Voldemort, attempting to escape in soul form after losing his temporary corporeal body at the Department of Mysteries, was ultimately sealed in a magical crystal, and subjected to an inquiry into how he remained alive despite the destruction of his physical form. Harry learned all these facts from Amelia Bones.
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The happy time didn't last long. Harry soon faced the harsh reality. While visiting Hogsmeade and buying Butterbeer for Susan Bones at Three Broomsticks, he was informed by Ludo Bagman that, as the champion, he still had to participate in the upcoming first task.
Surprisingly, Ron provided a clue about the first task. On the night of their return from Hogsmeade, Ron, with a determined expression, apologised to Harry for not believing in his innocence. The ginger-haired boy informed the Fourth Champion that his brother Charlie had come to Hogwarts with dragons, making it clear that facing a dragon was undoubtedly the first task. Due to missing Ron deeply, Harry immediately forgave him. Hermione was pleased that Harry and Ron had reconciled, but she was horrified when she heard that Harry had to face a dragon. The next day, together with Izzy, they checked the records of the previous dragon encounters and decided to summon their brooms to face the dragons.
On the day of the First Task, Harry dismissed Ludo Bagman's suspicious suggestion, summoned his Firebolt, and successfully retrieved the golden egg from the Hungarian Horntail. While he couldn't immediately decipher the peculiar sounds from the golden egg, he celebrated safely completing the first task through the huge party in Gryffindor Common Room and exchanging letters with Sirius and Remus.
The news of the Yule Ball was another obstacle for Harry. When the fourth Champion was informed that he would need to dance with a partner to kick off the Ball as a champion, he felt he'd rather face the dragon again. Izzy offered to be his partner, but he declined because she was taller than him. Understanding his feelings, the French cousin introduced him to her friend, Chloe, who readily accepted as her father was English, who had fled the Voldemort group. Chole was much shorter than Harry and pretty. Instead, Izzy became Ron's partner, who had been rejected by Fleur Delacour. The two mixed British-French girls bonded closely, teaching Harry and Ron how to dance.
On Christmas morning, Harry received many presents from friends and Sirius and Remus. However, the most overwhelming present was a necklace from his mother, which she once had presented to Aunt Jane.
That evening, Harry and Chloe had a wonderful time at the ball. Ron, however, was shocked to find Hermione as Victor Krum's partner, but he was swept up in Izzy' initiative and had to dance constantly. However, after the Ball, Ron said harsh things to Hermione and hurt her deeply.
As the new year began, Harry refocused on uncovering the secrets of the golden egg, where hints for the Second Task were hidden. Fortunately, thanks to Remus, knowledgeable about magical creatures, suggested the sound might be from mermaids. Accordingly, he found out that the Second Task involved rescuing a precious person from the Black Lake. Harry asked his friends including Neville, Sirius, Remus, and Izzy, about magical ways to breathe underwater, and learned about Bubble-Head Charm and Gillyweed. Knowing the Black Lake could be home to various creatures such as Grindylows, he eventually decided to use Gillyweed. Thanks to this, Harry was the first to reach the mermaids' village on the Second Task Day and successfully saved Fleur Delacour's hostage as well as Ron. (Of course, all friends and Izzy said bitter things to Harry, who naively believed in the warning later.)
On the afternoon of the Third Task, the four champions enjoyed time with their families. Harry had a great time with Sirius who have recovered a lot and Remus. When asked about his thoughts on the day's Task, the son of James Potter promised not to overdo it because he had trained enough, but he still did not want to participate. After the exam, his friends joined, and Sirius, Remus, and Izzy met in person for the first time. The half-French girl invited Harry, Sirius, and Remus to her home in southern France during the summer holidays, and the cousin happily agreed.
In the evening, the Third Task finally began. Harry was able to get close to the Triwizard Cup without much effort thanks to his training. However, Hagrid's massive spider injured him at the last minute. Fortunately, Cedric appeared and both boys knocked the gigantic spider out together just in time. Harry suggested Cedric take the Cup, but Cedric insisted Harry deserved it, remembering Harry's help in the First Task. Just as things were heating up, Cedric grabbed Harry's arm without hesitation, and together they claimed the Cup. At the end of the match, the two received tremendous cheers and congratulations from Hogwarts students and staff. (Meanwhile, Cedric's father and Sirius were childishly bragging about their children.)
Summer holidays finally arrived, and students of Dumstrang and Beauxbatongs returned to Bulgaria and France. Ron was overjoyed to receive a kiss from Fleur Delacour, and Harry happily reaffirmed the date of his appointment with Izzy before parting away.
After seeing off the guests, all Hogwarts students boarded a train to London. Harry decided to donate the 500 Galleon Triwizard prize he won as a joint winner, as he learned that the Weasley twins had persuaded Ludo Bagman to repay them for the entire year.
When the Hogwarts Express arrived at King's Cross Station and left the 9 3/4 platform, Sirius and Remus greeted Harry with big smiles and waves, replacing the Dursleys. Finally having a family, Harry looked forward to happy summer holidays for the first time.