AN:
"" means outloud
'' means inside head
_ or more means to be determined
xxxxxx (underlines) means reading what the book said
() means me making a note
(I'm not going to try accents just yet, maybe later)
Chapter 0: Prologue
"Harry Potter!" I heard Dumbledore shout.
'What did he say?' I looked up from my plate of food, 'He must've read the name wrong.' And went back to eating my food, well playing with it but, semantics.
"Harry Potter!" I heard Dumbledore shout with much more force.
When I didn't move, Hermione nudged me with her foot , so I stood up. As I did, I nervously looked around the Great Hall and saw that the Hufflepuff table was glaring at me like I just stole their one chance at glory, the Ravenclaw table was full of gaping mouths and furrowed brows, 'Probably wondering how I got past Dumbledore's age line,' the Slytherin table had about the same reaction as the Ravenclaws, and when I looked at the Gryffindor, they were surprised and mad, but mainly ecstatic. What hurt most was that Ron looked at me with such hatred, and Hermione looked as shocked and pissed as the rest of them.
I slowly walked my way towards the front of the hall, towards Dumbledore and the Goblet of Fire, and when I got to to the front I was directed to the double doors to the side of the Professor's table. Numbly, I walked into the room the champion's are in, and I could see the confusion on their faces.
"Are you here to retrieve us?" The Beauxbatons champion questioned me with a broken and messed up English.
I walk past her and the other two champions and go to the back of the room. As I was thinking to myself, I could hear arguing getting closer to the doors that led into the room we were in. The doors burst open and Headmaster Dumbledore, Headmaster Karkaroff, Headmistress Maxine, Professor Snape, Professor Moody, and a Ministry official stormed in, the arguing was coming from them and now the champions, plus me, could finally understand what it was about.
"Dumbledore, how is it you got two champions instead of one?" The Headmistress of Beauxbatons, Olympe Maxine, asked with broken English.
"Obviously, he intentionally called two names for Hogwarts." The Headmaster of Durmstrange, Igor Karkaroff, accused.
"How dare you accuse Albus Dumbledore of cheating his way into another champion, especially when we all know that it would be something you would do happily." Professor Moody said with a hollow laugh. But before Moody or anyone else continued, Dumbledore said in his calm voice, "Now, now. Nobody is accusing anyone." Pausing to allow everyone a breath."They are just worried about how we'll proceed considering the altercation that have occurred." His gaze sliding to me as he finished speaking. And with him, so did every other person in the room.
"Potter," Professor Snape drawled out, full of disdain. "How did you get past Dumbledore's age line?"
"I didn't Professor," annoyance flashed accross my face, 'Really, how could he believe that I could get past Dumbledore magic when Fred and Goerge couldn't and Hermione said that it would be near impossible for an average adult.'
Seeing this, Snape sneered, but before he could ask me again, Dumbledore raised a hand.
"Harry, my boy." Placing a hand on my shoulder, "Did you put your name in the Goblet of Fire?" The way he said it was sternly, yet, somehow, it was also gentle.
"No, Professor, I didn't." Trying to keep the annoyance out of my voice.
Karkaroff butted in before Dumbledore could say anything else, "The boy lies! He obviously used some trick to get past the age line, or he had help."
Ludo Bagman, the Ministry official, happily interjected, "Anywho, way to go, Mr. Potter, I know you will be a good champion."
"But I don't want to be a champion." I snapped, "So how do I quit?" Looking at all of them. The silence that answered my question was deafening.
"Why would you want to quit." The smile on his face matched his attitude.
'Is he an idiot?'
I looked at Dumbledore for help. "I'm sorry, my boy." Shaking his head slowly, "we checked. Once a champion's name has been chosen, they can't back out."
'How can this be? I didn't put my name in, so how did my name get called?' I thought as they continued to talk, 'Why can't I just quit? Why do I have to be a champion when I didn't enter my name? It doesn't make sense since it wasn't me who put my name in.'
"Alrighty champions!" Bagman interrupted my thoughts with excitement, "Now, in case you don't know what you signed up for, let me tell you. I know you know, but the rules are rules." The way he said it reminded me of how Lee commentates a quidditch match, "In this competition you shall be competing against each of the challengers in time, effectiveness, knowledge, and the beauty of the save." As he said the last item, the champions and the professors were staring, and he noticed. After a nervous chuckle, which turned into him clearing his throat, "Anyway, there will be five judges, and each will be scoring out of 10. That means the highest score any of you could get is a 50. The judges will be Dumbledore, Maxine, Karkaroff, Crouch, and, of course, myself." He looked at the person who name he called as he called them, "The major rules are that a champion can't forfeit a task unless they die or lose consciousness while actively trying their hardest to complete the challenge." At the end of that statement, all of the champions, except me, had a look of determination and a hint of fear on their faces. "The last major thing that needs to be said is any violation of any of the major rules will result in either the lose of your life, the loss of your magic" at that the four champions gasped, " or something far worse."
A few minutes of silence later, Bagman happily asked, "Any questions?"
"Are we going to be told what the challenges are? So we can prepare for them?" The Hufflepuff sparkled. 'I think I now know why the Hufflepuff table was furious with me'
"Excellent question, Mr. Diggory, and to answer your question, no, we won't tell you of the task beforehand. We will only tell you of the task about an hour before it."
Bagman looked at the champions and nodded towards the French lady. "Is there any type of magic that is forbidden to use during this tournament?" Eyes wide, Bagman stuttered, "well, um, dark magic, of course."
The Beauxbatons champion continued to stare at him, clearing expecting more. Pulling a handkerchief out of his pocket and dabbing his forehead. "That's it. That is the only thing banned."
The champion looked disgusted at such little specific restrictions. "What do you label dark magic?"
Bagman looked distraught at the question and looked towards Dumbledore. Dumbledore, in turn, looked at Headmistress Maxine and said, "I'll inform you later tonight while we deal with other issues." She looked at the sweaty Ministry official with a small amount of disdain.
"Very well, Dumblydoor." Clearly messing up his name on purpose.
"Anyways, is that all of your questions?" And not waiting for us to reply, "Good night, and I can't wait for the first task." And Bagman took off.
'What the, that's annoying. he barely answered any questions, and when he did, he gave a crap response, and he couldn't have possibly thought that we weren't going to have questions in the future, right?'
"Now that that is all settled students, you are all dismissed." Dumbledore waved us on, "If you have any other questions in the future, feel free to ask us whenever you can." Showing that Dumbledore knew what they were thinking.
The champions, plus me, slowly walked out of the room, and as I was leaving, I could make out the remaining people arguing about the unfairness of Hogwarts having two champions.
Out in the hallway, the champions, well, the other champions, I guess, stopped and started introducing themselves.
"I'm Fleur Delacour." The Beauxbatons champion said.
"Viktor Krum." The Durmstrange champion said.
"Cedric Diggory." The sparkling, Hogwarts, Hufflepuff, champion said.
'At least I know their names now. So I don't have to call them be their school name of house name.' I see them looking at me expectedly, 'Why are they looking at me?'
"And are you too good to tell us your name?" The Beaux- I mean Delacour asked, sounding annoyed.
"Oh, sorry." I say sheepishly while rubbing the back of my neck, "didn't know you were waiting for me. I'm, a, I'm Harry Potter." I stutter out, Reminding me of Quierell.
"Why else would we be looking at you?" Delacour, losing her patience, snapped.
"Um, because you're annoyed or angry or any other emotion." I remarked, "I mean, that's why everyone stares." I clarify.
"Speaking of annoyance," Krum said with broken English, "How did Hogwarts come to have two champions?"
"I don't know, I don't even want to participate." I say slowly. I looked at the others and saw that they didn't believe me.
"Anyways, I got to get to my Common room." I mutter out and walked past them.
As I walked up the Grand Staircase, I was lost in my own thoughts.
'How could this happen? The school year has been pretty normal so far. The only thing that isn't really normal is that there is no Quidditch. I mean, I should have figured it wouldn't be a normal year. It never is. The apparent Death Eater attack during the World Cup, along with the news of the tournament, that's just lining things up for a horrible year.'
"Watch it, Potter!" A sixth year Hufflepuff exclaimed, aggravated.
"Sorry, sorry." I mutter and looked around to know how close I was to the common room.
No where close.
As I got to the Fat Lady portrait, 'How did I end up on the fourth floor?'
"Password: " She said in her high-pitched voice. 'She's most likely practicing, so she can break a glass with her voice,' I thought with a laugh.
"Demiguise," I exhale as I say it.
As I said the password, the hidden door opened, and I could hear loud music and cheers in the inside. Walking inside, I saw that someone, probably the Weasley twins, had a party going.
Walking through the crowded common place (the room with couches and whatnot) many people were congratulating me on getting into the competing or asking how I got past Dumbledore's age line, which when I told them I didn't, they laughed and hurried away. Near the stairs to the fourth year boys dorm I found Fred and Goerge, well, more like they found me, and before they could start "I didn't put my name in the Goblet of Fire." I said, annoyance and anger in my voice. "We know," one of them said, "That has been your answer when anyone," one stopped, and the other continued, "asked."
'This is how they always talk. I always wondered how they do it, though. Magic, perhaps. Or they just know each other super well.'
"Earth to Harry," They said in unison, which shook me out of my thoughts,
"Yea,"
"You alright there? You spaced out for a bit." They said in unison again, to my tired amazement.
"Yea, sorry. There's too much going on and barely any time to think." sounding tired, "It seems like my head is stuck in the clouds." I try and fail to joke.
"Maybe you should leave the joking to us from now on." The twin on the left started, and the twin on the right finished. "Anywho, Ickie-Ron-i-cans is in a bad mood, don't know why." The right twin started it, and the left one ended it.
"Oh, thanks, bye." I said as I walked up the stairs.
In the dorms, I could still hear faint noises of the party below. I looked around, grateful that the lights were still on. I saw that the other beds were empty, 'probably still messing around downstairs.'The curtains on Ron's bed were closed, so I called out.
"Ron, you there?" I knew he was there and probably trying to sleep, but I need someone to talk to. "It's so tiring. Nobody believes me when I say I didn't put my name in -" "Seriously!"Ron interrupted. Pulling his bed curtain open. "You expect anyone to believe that? " My surprise slowly becoming rage. "Oh no. My name has mysteriously ended up in the Goblet of Fire. Whatever shall I do? "
Raising my hands into the air, "Why would I put my name in the goblet? I just wanted a normal year!"
"For the fame, the money!" Taking a step towards me, jabbing his finger at me, "you're an attention hogging jerk," Taking another step forward, "No one can have any glory while you're around." Taking another step, "No one else can have any fame while you're around." And another one, " and no one is allowed to feel heroic while you're around." He stopped walking when he got to the middle of the dorm.
I stared at him with wide eye. "You can't seriously believe that I figured out how to get past the age line? I mean, if I did, I would have told you."
"You would tell me!?" Raising his voice, "Since when do you tell me your ideas ahead of the time? When you went after the stone? Or when you went after the Basilisk? Or how about when you time traveled?" Ron face was slowly getting redder the longer he went on.
"You were there with me, for the Basilisk and stone. You were the reason we told Lockhart where the Chamber of Secrets was, and not Professor McGonagall." Walking towards my area and sitting on my closed trunk. "Almost everything that has happened to me, you were there too, so don't go complaining,"
Ron glared at me and stormed out of the dorm.
'Merlin, why doesn't he believe me?'
I opened up my trunk and pilfer through the contents. After a bit of searching, I pulled out an old looking parchment and stared at it. After a bit, I shook my head and put the parchment back into my trunk, and pulled out some clean pj's.
'I need sleep to try and find solutions to my problem, but how could my entire year go from good to horrible in just an hour? Must be some kind of record?' I think as I'm putting the pj's on and getting ready for bed. I turn off the lights and close the curtains on my bed as I lay down. 'Alrighty, tomorrow I need to finish the homework from Professor Flitwick and McGonagall, then read more into the Triwizard Tournament.'
As I slowly drifted off to sleep, I could still hear the party raging below me and knew that it would likely continue way into the night.