Chapter Nineteen
Harry took the excuse to dart out of the room, away from Rita Skeeter and followed Dumbledore back into the room with the other champions. That had been the most uncomfortable interview he'd ever had, including trying to explain to Professor McGonagall why they had been out of bed and hunting a basilisk.
The three other champions where now sitting on a neat row of chairs, looking at a velvet covered table where four of the five judges where sitting. They turned to look at Harry and glared, there was a lot of annoyance coming his way.
Harry sat down quickly next to Cedric. He looked very smart, his Hufflepuff robes wrinkle free, Quidditch Captain and Prefect badges shining brightly on his chest. Harry felt rather scruffy compared to the other champions and tried to subtly straighten his robes.
Harry watched Rita Skeeter slip into the room and take a seat in the corner, once again getting out her quill and parchment. He wondered if he should tell someone that her quill didn't actually write what it was meant to, not that it would do any good. Rita Skeeter's stories were too popular.
Dumbledore took his place at the table of judges, "May I introduce Mr Ollivander. He will be checking your wands to ensure that they are in good condition before the Tournament."
Harry looked slightly behind him to see the old wizard, with large, pale eyes, standing by the window. It had been over three years since Harry had gotten his wand from Diagon Ally but it wasn't someone he was likely to ever forget.
Mr Ollivander stepped forward so he was standing next to the judges table, in the centre of the room and gave them all a smile, "Mademoiselle Delacour, could we have you forward first please?"
Fleur stood up fluidly and swept over to Mr Ollivander, giving him a small curtsy ad having over her wand. She stood perfectly, the sun shining through the window made her hair shimmer and look even more unnaturally perfect.
"Hmm..." he twirled the wand between his long fingers, looking over every millimetre of it. He gave it a small flick and it gave off a number of pink and gold sparks. He nodded and then held it very close to his eyes.
"Yes," he said quietly, "nine and a half inches, inflexible… rose wood, containing… dear me..."
"An 'air from ze 'ead of a Veela." Fleur said, standing up slightly straighter, "One of my grandmuzzer's."
Mr Ollivander nodded, "Yes, yes. I've never used Veela hair myself, of course. I find it tends to make for very temperamental wands… however, to each his own and it seems to suit you…" he ran his finger tips up and down the length of the wand looking for bumps or scratches, "Orchideous"
A bunch of flowers burst from the tip of the wand, "Very good! It's in fine working order." Mr Ollivander said, scooping up the flowers and giving them to Fleur with her wand.
Fleur smiled and gave him another curtsy before returning to her seat, looking very pleased with herself.
"Mr Diggory, you next." Mr Ollivander said.
Cedric stood up and handed over his wand.
"Ah yes, now this is one of mine." Ollivander smiled, much more enthusiastically, "Yes I remember it well. It contains a single hair from the tail of a partially fine male unicorn… must have been seventeen hands at least, and nearly gored me with it's horn as I plucked it's tail. Twelve and a quarter inches… ash… pleasantly springy. It's in very good condition, you treat it regularly?"
Cedric nodded, looking proudly at his wand, "Yes sir, I polished it just last night."
Harry looked at his over, finger print covered, slightly grubby wand. He had never polished it, he'd never even thought about it. Harry grabbed a fistful of his robes to give it a quick clean. Several gold sparks shot out of the end earning him a patronising look from Fleur.
Harry mumbled a sorry, so quietly he was the only one who could hear it, and stopped trying to clean his wand, it did look a little better at least and surely it was how well they worked that counted rather than how pretty they looked; he hoped.
Mr Ollivander sent a steam of silver smoke rings across the room from Cedric's wand and nodded in satisfaction. He handed the wand back to Cedric who tucked it carefully in his robes and sat back down.
"Mr Krum, up you come." Mr Ollivander asked.
Viktor Krum got up and walked over, he looked very clumsy and rough compared to Cedric and Fleur as he thrust his wand at Mr Ollivander. Krum stood, scowling, his hands buried deep in his robe pockets.
"Hmm." Mr Ollivander said, "Unless I am very much mistaken, this is a Gregorovitch creation. A fine wand-maker, though the styling is always a little… however..."
He turned the wand over and lifted it up to his eye to examine, "Yes… hornbeam and dragon heartstring?" he asked Krum, who nodded, "Rather thicker than one usually sees… quite rigid… ten and a quarter inches...Avis!"
The wand made a loud noise like a gun going off, and several small birds flew from the tip and fluttered out the window.
"Good." Mr Ollivander said, handing the wand back to Viktor Krum. Krum gave a small nod and went back to his chair, "Which just leaves, Mr Potter."
Harry felt himself grow rather nervous. He got to his feet and walked over to Mr Ollivander, handing over his wand.
"Aaaah yes." Mr Ollivander said, his strangely pale eyes gleaming, "Yes, yes I remember it well."
Harry remembered it as well, it seemed branded into his memory. He'd never told anyone about the connection his wand had with Voldemort's. Harry was very fond of his wand and as far as he was concerned his wand was as much like Voldemort's as he was like the Dursleys.
He had a sudden flash of worry that Ollivander would tell everyone the connection between the wands; Rita Skeeter would have a field day and there would be he could do to stop it if that happened.
Mr Ollivander took far longer looking over Harry's wand than he had the others but after some time Harry breathed a sigh of relief as a fountain of wine poured from the end of his wand and Mr Ollivander declared it to be in perfect order, handing it back to Harry.
Dumbledore stood up and smiled at them, "Thank you all. You may go back to your lessons now, or actually, it might be quicker to just go and get ready for dinner as lessons are about to end."
Harry breathed a sigh of relief that it was over, and he could go flop on his bed for a while before dinner, when the man with the black camera jumped up and loudly cleared his throat.
"Photos Dumbledore, photos!" Bagman cried happily, "All the judges and champions. What do you think Rita?"
Rita's eyes flicked over Harry again, "Yes, lets do those first and then, maybe some individual shots?"
It took a long, long, long, long time. To start with the photographer couldn't stand far enough back to get Madam Maxime in the frame, so she had to sit. Krum looked sulky and awkward; exasperating those trying to get the pictures sorted.
Karkaroff kept twisting his goatee to give it more curl and Cedric looked very unsure of how he was meant to be acting.
The man with the camera seemed very keen to have Fleur and her long silver blonde hair at the front where as Rita Skeeter kept dragging Harry forward.
"He's the youngest!" she beamed, "It balances it better."
"Yes but Miss Delacour is the only girl taking part! It's more balanced with her in the middle." the man insisted.
After they had finally gotten the group shots, and then a number of shots of them all individually, they were finally free to go.
Harry could hear the dinner bell ringing and didn't bother going back to the common room, instead making his way straight to the Great Hall.
Krum walked next to him looking his way every once in a while, like he wanted to say something.
"Mr Ollivander seemed really interested in your wand." Harry said, as they walked though the corridors.
Krum nodded, "Yes, he vas very interested. It is not a normal vand. Very rare voods vere used and some usual treatments vhen it vas being made, made in an old vay you see." he said, he paused for a moment, "I vas sorry not to sit next to you the other day. Ve ended up sitting vith the Lestranges. They seem very..."
"They're an acquired taste." Harry said, trying not to smirk.
Krum nodded, "Vould it be all right if I, and the others, sit vith you again?"
Harry nodded, "Yeah. Yeah of course. Look Krum, I wanted to say how sorry I was, about being picked. I know how hard you must have all worked to even just get the chance to be a champion."
Krum shrugged, "Not for me. You may have seen how much Professor Karkaroff favours me."
Harry didn't say anything but it was very clear who the favourite student was in Durmstrang. They reached the Great Hall and took seats with their friends.
It was chicken stew with large warm dumplings for dinner. Harry helped himself and buttered a bit of bread. They Durmstrang students once again had large chunks of bread with their food, something Harry had noticed they nearly always did.
He also noticed they were all wearing small gold and white enamel badges with a proud looking lion on. It was half way through dinner that Harry's curiosity got the better of him.
"What are the badges?" he asked, pointing with his fork.
"They are very special." Agne said, "They are the sign for the order of the 'Lions of the North'."
"What's that?" Draco asked.
"A duelling club in the Durmstrang." Havelock explained, "Only the best of the best are allowed to enter and train. They are some of the best in the vorld."
"It vas only us in the Order vho vere allowed to come, to even enter the Tournament." Viktor said.
"That's really interesting." Daphne said, "We don't have anything like that at Hogwarts, well we did have a small duelling club, a couple of years back but it was a joke."
"It vas set up a long time ago," Birgitta said, "by the founder of Durmstrang. He vas the original Lion of the North you see."
"I believe that Beauxbatons has something similar." Krum said, "Although I am not sure for certain. Most schools are very secretive."
"I wish we had something like that, it sounds like fun you know?" Draco mused.
Havelock smirked, "It is fun vhen it is going vell."
"Are you looking forward to the first task?" Harry said, he had a lot more questions about 'Lions of the North' but didn't want to seem rude. Asking about the Tournament however seemed to be the wrong thing to do. The Durmstrang students glared at him.
"It is all right." Krum said, "I do not think he vould try and cheat."
They relaxed a bit, although they were clearly very unhappy with the situation still. Harry understood but he was starting to get more and more annoyed at the way he was being treated, this wasn't his fault and he really wished people would stop blaming him for it.
"I'm just a bit nervous to be honest." Harry smiled, "No idea what they're going to put us through."
Krum shrugged, "I do not think they vould ask to much of us to start vith. I have mostly been vorking on attacking spells. If it is for bravery, it is likely something ve must fight yes?"
Harry nodded, that made a lot of sense. He looked at the shining badges, they just seemed to drive home just how much younger, and how little he must have learned compared to the other three champions.
"You vill be all right." Viktor said, "You are stronger than you think you are."
Harry smiled, "Thanks." he sighed, "I was so looking forward to this year, it sound stupid but I just wanted to be normal, one of the crowd, watching other people have adventures."
Viktor nodded, "It vould be very nice to be normal sometimes."
Harry sighed and stared into his stew, normal was not something he really knew, just dreamed for.