Disclaimer: I don't own HP, I only own Evan and Iris.
Now, someone asked would Aludra's name be her birth name when it was put in the Goblet. Last chapter answered that, but I just wanted to explain my reasoning. Aludra's name is Aludra Scarlet Black now, not Amaryllis Hope Potter. That's her legal name, accepted by magic. In my story verse, when someone is blood adopted, they're given a new name to show they have a new life, even if it just means changing the middle name or hyphenating a name for older children adopted by godparents or aunts and uncles. If they had put Ally's original name in, it wouldn't be binding because that isn't her name anymore. I hope that makes sense.
Read, enjoy and review!
Chapter Ten
The Aftermath
Aludra stared blankly at her grandfather, unable to comprehend what was happening. She felt as if she were outside her body.
This couldn't be happening. This was madness. Her name couldn't possibly have come out of the Goblet. Hogwarts already had a Champion, and one she adored with all the fervour of a younger sister. It just wasn't possible. This sort of thing didn't happen to her. It happened to Evan, and she then devoted her efforts to keeping him alive. But not her. Never her.
People were turning to look at her with expressions of shock or outrage. Evan was white, and Neville looked as if he were about to be sick, while Susan's hands were both covering her mouth. Iris had burst into tears. Even the twins looked horrified. Her grandfather looked stricken, Uncle Al looked furious and Grandma Min was shaking her head in disbelief.
At least Aludra wasn't the only person who couldn't believe this was happening.
Without consciously knowing why, Aludra unholstered her wand and, clutching it in white fingers, said in a shaky voice that could still be heard all over the dead-silent Great Hall. "I, Aludra Scarlet Black, Lady of the Ancient House of Urquart, Heiress of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black and the Most Noble House of Dumbledore hereby swear in the eyes of the Mother of Magic that I did not put my name in the Goblet of Fire, nor did I request anyone else do so on my behalf, and may Hekate burn out my core should I prove to be a perjurer. So mote it said, so mote it be."
There was a flash of light, signalling the Goddess' acceptance of the Oath, and when it settled and everyone could see again, Aludra again raised her wand and cast 'lumos', then 'nox'. Both charms worked, proving she was telling the truth. Immediately whispers started up, and the outrage turned to worry and confusion.
"Aludra," Granddad said, his voice strained and worried. "Come up here please. We need to discuss this in private."
"I didn't do it," she begged him. "I've proved that, haven't I? Granddad please, I've never wanted any part in this Tournament beyond supporting the Hogwarts Champion and that's not me. Please, Granddad."
Her cheeks felt wet, and she realized she was actually crying, something she hadn't done in public in years. There were too many enemies of her family who would use any sign of weakness against them. But she couldn't stop herself. Pure fear, too much fear to only be hers, was filling her and she felt lightheaded.
Her grandmother suddenly appeared at her side, wrapping a protective arm around her, and began guiding her up through the Hall. Aludra reluctantly went along with it, too busy fighting the urge to throw up to think about doing anything else.
She seemed to blink and was suddenly in the antechamber off the Great Hall, with Cedric, Viktor and Fleur looking at her in alarm.
"What ees wrong?" Fleur asked concernedly, moving closer to Aludra. "Ees she eell?"
"Ally?" Cedric said, snapping his fingers in front of Aludra's eyes. "Ally, can you hear me? Professor, what's wrong with her?"
"Mr Diggory," Grandma began to say, but was cut off by Ludo Bagman entering the room. He grabbed Aludra by the arm, and tried to dragged her forwards, out of her grandmother's embrace, though he quickly stopped at Grandma Min's frosty look.
"Extraordinary!" he was muttering.
"I hardly agree, Mr Bagman," Grandma snapped.
"But it is, Professor!" Bagman insisted. "It's absolutely extraordinary! An amazing twist! Gentlemen … lady," he added, approaching the fireside and addressing the other three. "May I introduce – incredible though it may seem – the fourth Triwixen champion?"
Viktor Krum straightened up. His face darkened as he took in Bagman's words.
"What?" Cedric demanded. "That's ridiculous! Ally didn't even agree with the Tournament being reinstated! She wouldn't put her name in, and how would she do it anyway? She's only fourteen! She couldn't have gotten past the Headmaster's Age Line!"
Fleur Delacour tossed her hair, smiling, and said, "Oh, vairy funny joke, Meester Bagman."
"Joke?" Bagman repeated, bewildered. "No, no, not at all! Aludra's name just came out of the Goblet of Fire!"
"What Mr Bagman fails to mention is that the first thing my granddaughter did on her name being called was give a magical Oath that she did not put her name in the Goblet, nor did she ask anyone else to do so on her behalf," Grandma said darkly.
"But zen, 'ow did 'er name come out?" Fleur demanded in clear bewilderment. Viktor's thick eyebrows contracted slightly, the only sign of his own bemusement. Cedric, however, leapt on this.
"There!" He declared. "She was entered against her will. Surely the contract can't bind her when she didn't submit her own name?"
Ludo Bagman stared at Cedric in disbelief, as if his reaction was completely unwarranted and ruining his fun. Suddenly Aludra understood why her father disliked the man so much.
The door opened and Granddad came hurrying in, followed by Uncle Al, Crouch, the Heads of Houses, and the foreign Heads all looking grim and angry. Aludra, meanwhile, perked up a bit, giving her Granddad a rather desperate look. Her Granddad was the wisest wix alive. He could fix this. Please let him fix this.
"Zis ees outrageous!" Madame Maxime exclaimed. "'Ow can 'Ogwarts 'ave two Champions? Eet ees most injust!"
"We were under the impression that your Age Line would keep out younger contestants, Dumbledore," said Karkaroff, his steely smile still in place, though his eyes were colder than ever. "Otherwise, we would, of course, have brought along a wider selection of candidates from our own schools."
"Did you not hear her swear on her magic she did not enter?" Grandma snapped, ever ready to defend her cubs. "And then see cast two spells successfully? Are you implying that a fourteen-year-old girl is capable of subverting an Oath witnessed by the Goddess Herself, as well as getting past an Age Line cast by Dumbledore?"
"With all due respect to you both," Granddad said in a shockingly icy voice. "My concern right now is my granddaughter being entered into a deadly contest against her will by an unknown person for unknown reasons, not whether Hogwarts has a second contestant.
I would have expected that the people entrusted with the future of their own countries would also be more concerned about the safety of a young girl than their pride. Forgive me for assuming so highly of you both."
Nobody could do shaming like Albus Dumbledore, Aludra mused to herself. Madame Maxime looked ashamed, bowing her head regretfully and agreeing that Aludra's safety was more important, though Karkaroff just looked mulish.
He turned to Bagman and Crouch. Bagman was frowning, pouting, really, as if he thought this was all some sort of game and they were ruining it, while Crouch was staring at the fire.
"Mr Crouch … Mr Bagman," said Karkaroff, his voice oily solicitous once more, "you are our, er, objective judges. Surely you will agree that this is most irregular?"
Bagman wiped his round, boyish face with his handkerchief and looked at Mr Crouch. "Barty?" He asked.
"We must follow the rules, and the rules state clearly that those people whose names come out of the Goblet of Fire are bound to compete in the Tournament," Crouch stated flatly, sounding completely disinterested in the whole thing.
Aludra slumped in despair. Her grandfather wasn't denying it. That meant this was really happening, and there was no escape. She was trapped. She wanted to apologize to the real Champions that this was happening, that their night was being ruined, but she couldn't find the strength to speak.
Daddy will be furious, she thought distantly.
"Even when it wasn't her who submitted her name?" Cedric demanded.
"Even then," Crouch said flatly. Cedric glared at him so venomously Aludra was mildly surprised the apathetic man didn't burst into flames from accidental magic.
"Then I must insist on re-submitting the names of my students," Karkaroff demanded, his smile disappearing into an ugly scowl.
"That is impossible," Crouch countered, still not looking away from the fire. "The Goblet has gone out, and will stay that way until the next Tournament."
Karkaroff opened his mouth to speak, but Madame Maxime spoke up.
"Albus ees right," she stated. "I do not like zis, but finding out 'o did zis and why ees ze important zing."
"But why would someone do this in the first place, Albus?" Grandma demanded. She and Cedric both had an arm wrapped around Aludra protectively, and she leaned on them for support. She hated to be so emotionally exposed, but she couldn't find it in herself to gather her composure. She was still in shock that this was actually happening to her. She'd have thought it would happen to Evan, if she imagined it happening at all.
"It's obvious, isn't it?" Uncle Al huffed, thumping his way forward. "Aludra is the Lady of one House, Heiress to two others, all of which have great political standing in the Wizengamot. She's the only child and daughter of Senior Auror Sirius Black, Head of House Black and my most successful protege, who's caught over a hundred Dark Wixen over his fifteen years on the force. And finally, she's the only grandchild of Albus Dumbledore.
Any wix with a grudge against Sirius or Albus would know the easiest way to hurt and/or distract them is by targeting Aludra. Entering her into the Tournament gives them three times the chance to hurt or, even better, kill her, all without having to get their own hands dirtier than a bit of ink from writing her name on the parchment."
Cedric inhaled sharply, and the grips on Aludra became tighter.
Ludo Bagman, who was looking very anxious indeed, bounced nervously up and down on his feet and said, "Moody, old man … what a thing to say!"
"We all know Professor Moody considers the morning wasted if he hasn't discovered six plots to murder him before lunchtime," said Karkaroff loudly. "Apparently he is now teaching his students to fear assassination, too. An odd quality in a Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Dumbledore, but no doubt you had your reasons."
"Imagining things, am I?" growled Moody. "Seeing things, eh? The girl swore a magical Oath, witnessed and judged truthful by the Goddess Herself. She didn't enter, nor did she ask anyone else to do on her behalf. Furthermore, it was a skilled witch or wizard who put the boy's name in that Goblet …"
"What evidence is zere of zat?" Madame Maxime asked doubtfully. "Per'aps zis was merely a school prank done by people 'o did not understand ze seriousness of it."
"Because they hoodwinked a very powerful magical object!" said Uncle Al, jabbing his finger at them. "It would have needed an exceptionally strong Confundus Charm to bamboozle that Goblet into forgetting that only three schools compete in the Tournament … A student couldn't do that. I'm guessing they submitted Black's name under a fourth school, to make sure she was the only one in her category …"
"You seem to have given this a great deal of thought, Moody," said Karkaroff coldly, "and a very ingenious theory it is – though, of course, I heard you recently got it into your head that one of your birthday presents contained a cunningly disguised basilisk egg, and smashed it to pieces before realising it was a carriage clock. So you'll understand if we don't take you entirely seriously …"
"There are those who'll turn innocent occasions to their advantage," Moody retorted in a menacing voice. "It's my job to think the way Dark wixen do, Karkaroff – as you ought to remember …"
"Enough!" Granddad snapped. His shoulders slumped as he turned to Aludra. "Aludra, my dear girl, I am so very sorry, but there is nothing we can do without you losing your magic. You must compete."
Aludra clenched her eyes tightly. She couldn't lose her magic. It probably wouldn't kill her directly, but she'd be forced to leave the magical world, her family and friends, behind. Usually those rare few who lost their magic didn't survive long, committing suicide within the year.
"I understand, Granddad," she said hollowly. "May I go now? I'm...exhausted."
"There's information the Champions must know before you all go along to your celebrations," Bagman jumped in.
Aludra shot him an icy look, finally scraping together her pureblood composure. He faltered. "Someone seems to be trying to kill me Mr Bagman," she snapped. "I hardly think that's anything to celebrate."
"Ah, well, I, uhm, Barty, the instructions," Bagman fumbled to say.
Mr Crouch seemed to come out of a deep reverie.
"Yes," he said, "instructions. Yes … the first task …"
He moved forwards into the firelight. He really did look ill, Aludra mused to herself. There were dark shadows beneath his eyes, and a thin, papery look about his wrinkled yellowish skin.
"The first task is designed to test your daring," he told Aludra, Cedric, Fleur and Krum, "so we are not going to be telling you what it is. Courage in the face of the unknown is an important quality in a wix … very important …
The first task will take place on November the twenty-fourth, in front of the other students and the panel of judges.
The champions are not permitted to ask for or accept help of any kind from their teachers to complete the tasks in the Tournament. The champions will face the first challenge armed only with their wands. They will receive information about the second task when the first is over. Owing to the demanding and time-consuming nature of the Tournament, the champions are exempted from end-of-year tests."
Mr Crouch turned to look at Dumbledore. "I think that's all, is it, Albus?"
"I think so," Aludra's grandfather, who was looking at Mr Crouch with mild concern, replied. "Are you sure you wouldn't like to stay at Hogwarts tonight, Barty?"
"No, Dumbledore, I must get back to the Ministry," said Mr Crouch. "It is a very busy, very difficult time at the moment … I've left young Weatherby in charge … very enthusiastic … a little over-enthusiastic, if truth be told …"
"Very well," Granddad agreed.
Aludra turned to the other Champions. "I'm very sorry to have taken all the attention on your night," she told them earnestly, giving them a Bow of Repentance to show her sincerity. It was a particular Bow used in pureblood culture when someone wanted to emphasize their regret for something they did. When she straightened, she saw surprise on Krum and Fleur's faces. The doubt that had been lingering in Fleur's eyes, even after the learning of the Oath Aludra had taken, disappeared.
"You have no reason to apologize, Ally," Cedric said fiercely. "You've done nothing wrong. You're not responsible for this. And I promise, I'm here to help you with this, okay? We'll work together."
"I am villing to help also," Viktor said, earning surprised looks from the others. "I am still going to try to vin, but I haff a little brudder. He is your age. If he vas in your position, I vould vant him to be helped." Fleur exhaled at that, frowning a bit.
Viktor Krum had hidden depths of goodness, Aludra mused to herself as she smiled wearily at him. "Thank you, Viktor," she murmured.
"I will 'elp 'ou also," Fleur announced. "Like Viktor, I 'ave a leetle seester. I would want someone to be zere for 'er in zis situation."
"Looks like we're creating bonds already," Cedric joked weakly, expression still pinched with concern for Aludra.
When she got up to Gryffindor Tower, Cedric having insisted on walking her there, the Common Room was fool of anxious students.
"Ally! What did Professor Dumbledore say?" Susan demanded the moment Aludra stepped foot through the portraithole.
"I have to compete," she responded flatly. "It's a binding magical contract on anyone who's name comes out of the Goblet. I have to see this through to the end, or else lose my magic."
"Do they know who did it, Lu?" George asked worriedly.
She shook her head. "No, but Uncle Al, that is, Professor Moody, thinks it was someone out for revenge against Daddy or Granddad. He doesn't think it was a student. Said the magic needed to hoodwink the Goblet was too complex."
The other Gryffindors whispered worriedly to one another. She appreciated their support and concern for her, but she really wasn't up to anymore of this.
"Guys, I really don't have any more answers," she told them exhaustedly. "And I'm really tired. I'm going to bed, alright."
"Alright Ally," several people agreed.
"We support you, you know," Angelina added as Aludra passed her by. "You're the best student in Gryffindor. And we're on your side. We'll all pitch in to help."
The others who heard her agreed earnestly, and she tried to smile gratefully at them, but suspected it just turned out as a grimace.
"Thanks, Angelina, guys," Aludra sighed. Susan followed her up to the dorm room, and Aludra instantly began changing for bed. She really was worn out.
"Are you alright, Ally?" Susan asked softly.
"I will be," she answered tiredly. "Right now I'm just- tired. Very tired."
"I understand," Susan murmured. She hesitated and Aludra paused, turning to look at her.
"Susan?" She asked. "What is it?"
"Ron doesn't believe you," Susan admitted. "He thinks you used some sort of Dark Magic to hoodwink the Goblet and the Oath. George punched him. Knocked a tooth out. Then Evan broke his nose for good measure."
"Ron's a moron," Aludra snapped. She opened her mouth, huffed, and shook her head. "I can't deal with this right now," she admitted to her friend.
"Ally," Susan whispered, and that was the last straw, somehow. Aludra's face crumbled.
"I'm scared, Suze," she whimpered, beginning to cry. "Someone's trying to kill me."
It was different, all the other times. It hadn't been about her specifically. She was just in the way. Somehow, the personal part of this made it more frightening than anything else she had faced, including Lord Voldemort himself. Someone wanted her dead, probably to get to her father or grandfather, but her all the same. If, by some miracle, she survived the tasks, what else would this person do? Why try and kill her in this indirect way instead of just attacking her outright? Uncle Al had been right when he said there was nothing worse than an unanswered question. Unlike the previous three years, Aludra had no idea why this was happening, and she was terrified.
Susan sat on Aludra's bed and held her, drawing the curtains around the bed and casting the privacy spells taught to them before they started school so the other girls wouldn't hear them when they came upstairs. The two friends spent the night curled up together, Aludra crying herself to sleep in her best (female) friend's arms.