Disclaimer: You guessed it! All HP characters and other devices belong to J.K.R. - I'm just playing with them here.

Chapter 4 – Making an Entrance

1 November 1994

Ginny Weasley woke up with the late fall light of the Scottish Highlands peeking through a crack in her bed curtains. It took her a few minutes laying there to try and shake the cobwebs from her brain. Her dreams had been vague and constantly shifting. The one thing she could recall from them with lucid clarity was a pair of brilliant emerald eyes.

She shot up to a sitting position. "That's right! Harry's name came out of the Goblet last night!" That thought cleared the rest of the sleep from her mind. She had to get up and get dressed, then head down to breakfast and see if anyone had answers.

Forty-five minutes later, a fresh-faced Ginny Weasley was sitting at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall. It seemed that Hogwarts' rumor mill had been working overtime overnight, with theories getting more outlandish by the minute. One theory that she heard the twins' best friend, Lee Jordan, spouting was that Harry Potter entered himself in order to cull Minister Fudge's army of Heliopaths which were apparently to be a part on of the tasks. Considering she knew exactly where that rumor had started, she had to chuckle and made a mental note to speak with Luna later.

"It's not like Potter will be able to compete. He's only a day younger than me and you all heard Mr. Crouch," Neville spoke up. "The Ministry decided that only students who are of age could enter this year."

All the heads nearby who heard that turned to Hermione, who did not disappoint. "Well, Neville, I read through the Tournament rule book last night…" She began to absolutely no one's surprise. "The Ministry's age restriction was never entered into the formal regulations. Anyone whose name came out of the Goblet would have to compete, provided their magical signature matched that of parchment claiming them. They apparently felt that simply stopping an underage witch or wizard from entering his or her own name would be enough. Why the tournament committee decided to use such a dangerous artifact is beyond me, except its traditional value, that is."

Ron broke in incredulously, "But that's… that's, mental is what it is! Are you telling me I could've asked one of the older students to enter my name for me?"

"Oh, Ronald. I don't think it would've been quite so easy to fool the headmaster's protections." She finished with an eyeroll.

"So, what do you think happened then, Hermione?" Ginny had to ask. She had told the older girl last night that she didn't think Harry was responsible and, in the process, let his name slip out just a little too comfortably for the bright witch to miss.

Hermione's eyes narrowed in her direction. "I think that there's nothing really known about Harry Potter besides he was somehow responsible for You-Know-Who's destruction when he was a baby. As far as the Daily Prophet is concerned, no one has actually seen him since 1981." Hermione raised her eyebrow at Ginny in challenge, but she wasn't going to take the bait. Especially not for that non-answer.

She supposed turnabout was fair play after she rather blatantly ignored Hermione's prying last night. But she had been sworn to secrecy not to speak of Harry's involvement with the Chamber incident. Maybe that secret wouldn't have to be kept anymore, assuming he showed up to Hogwarts, that is.

Breakfast was nearing its conclusion when Dumbledore stood up to make an announcement. "If I may have your attention for a brief announcement." Silence fell over the hall as everyone turned to listen eagerly. "Regarding last night's commencement ceremony for the Tri-Wizard Tournament, during which Mr. Harry Potter's name was chosen by the Goblet of Fire, an investigation completed late last night has led to some answers and unfortunately, more questions as well. Attempts were made to contact Mr. Potter last evening and it was discovered that he was, in fact, out of the country and has been for the last year."

Murmurs broke out in the hall at that, and the headmaster had to clear his throat to quiet them.

"Furthermore, our Ministry representatives have consulted the tournament rulebook, and while Mr. Potter is underage, if his magical signature matches that of the parchment on which his name was written… he will have to compete or face a reckoning with the Goblet's magic." Hermione looked particularly smug at that. "The Ministry informs me that a full investigation will be carried out into the origins of this mystery. Should it come to pass that Mr. Potter must compete in the Tri-Ward tournament, I expect him to be afforded the same welcome that you have all shown our guests from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. Now, classes will be starting in ten minutes, off you trot!"

The noise level of the hall picked back up immediately with excitement. Ginny's roommate, Natalie Bell, just about burst with a rush of words. "Merlin! Do you two know what this means!? We're going to see Harry Potter this year! I mean really see him! He has to be coming here to deal with the investigation right? Do you think he's handsome, or maybe he's deformed from defeating You-Know-Who and that's why he never came to school? Oh, Merlin, I have to write my mum right away!"

Ginny, who had been feeling a little jealous at her friend's reaction, laughed at the end. "Calm down, Nat! I'm sure a letter to your mum will keep. Besides, if Potter really does show up, maybe you can get a picture with him to send her? Now, come on. We have double potions starting in a few minutes and Snape is not the understanding type."

She was proud of the way she diverted the girl, but she also felt a little nervous about the picture idea too… Glancing around the hall as they made their way to the door, she saw just about every group of girls having frantic conversations amongst themselves. In fact, most of the students present looked excited about the prospect of seeing the 'Boy-Who-Lived'.

The possessive side of her let out an internal growl. "Maybe aiming my beautiful friends at Harry wasn't such a good idea…" She knew she was being a bit irrational, but she was a thirteen year old witch after all. And, dammit, Harry was hers first! "I mean, He was my friend first... yep, that's what I said!"

With her denials and internal debating raging over how to not make Harry think she'd turned into a nutter, Ginny and the other third year Gryffindors made their way down to the dungeons for what was sure to be a brutal three hours courtesy of one Severus Snape. She just hoped she didn't blow anything up whilst distracted.

~HP~GW~ ~HP~GW~

Harry Potter had just apparated with his godfather and uncle to 12 Grimmauld Place in Islington, London. After catching an early morning international portkey out of New York, then dodging reporters who had been tipped off about his return to Britain, he was ready for a bit of rest before the main event later today.

Under normal circumstances, the three of them would use muggle transportation to slip into the UK undetected, or maybe catch a ride with Fawkes if the opportunity presented itself. Today, however, they had to use a monitored port of entry to maintain plausible deniability. It was amazing really; how easy it was to bypass Ministry of Magic checkpoints when you combined a minimal understanding of the muggle world with a basic desire to not be noticed. Pheonix flame travel was practically cheating as far as he was concerned, but growing up with Marauders taught him to take every advantage available when shirking the rules.

Dumbledore had sent word this morning that everything was on schedule. He was able to confirm that the parchment Crouch Jr. had used did have his magical signature on it. Realistically it wouldn't have been that hard for anyone with access to the Ministry's records department to lift his signature from one of the forms filed there, but it was oddly nice to know they weren't dealing with complete idiots.

The plan was for Dumbledore to smooth out some of the hostility they were expecting Harry to experience by virtue of his mysterious entry to tournament. Giving the students of Hogwarts and its guest schools some of the facts while conveniently leaving out the part where he wanted to be entered was crucial to his perception at the school and beyond.

He was always going to be under intense media scrutiny whenever he made his return to Britan, being positioned as the reluctant participant in a dangerous tournament could only help. The media in the country would have qualified as tabloid-level at best in the muggle world, so he really only had two options available. Become the villain who's seeking attention or play the victim whose intentions are pure. Considering they intended to break a few eggs when they made their move against Crouch and Pettigrew, and exposed Voldemort's continued existence, it was decided that every ounce of goodwill Harry could garner would be useful.

After dropping his bag off in his bedroom, Harry made his way down two floors to second floor study. He made a point to commit the layout of each floor to memory, as Nathaniel had repeatedly reinforced that 'knowledge of one's surrounding was half the battle'. He understood the concept and having three of Britain's finest Transfiguration experts tutoring him certainly helped make it a reality, but sometimes he had to chuckle at the retired Auror's phrases. "I swear he pulled half of those things out of fortune cookies from the Chinese takeout we ordered." If the man meant that he should use his surroundings to his advantage, why didn't has just say so?

The fourth floor, where his bedroom, along with Sirius and Remus' rooms, had four bedrooms in total, each with an ensuite bath, the master's study, and stair access to the rooftop terrace and attic. Sirius had invested in a full restoration of the four-story town home several years earlier, but this was the first time they had visited since the renovations were complete. Since their last visit, all the colors had been lightened, fixtured updated, much of the furniture replaced, and wood flooring exposed and polished. Simply put, it felt like an entirely new house, only this time around it was inhabitable.

Passing the third floor, he noted that an additional six bedrooms took up the space, with two shared bathrooms, and one shared sitting room. Presumably for guests to congregate before retiring for the evening.

Arriving at the second floor, he took note of the second study, parlor, drawing room, billiards room, and the crown jewel, the Black library. The library housed a trove of priceless books, many of which were dark in nature, but the bit that caught Harry's attention was its second story. The upper levels obviously didn't have a layout conducive to this, but he shrugged it off as 'Magic'. It seemed, given the size of the building's exterior and floor layout, the Black's were experts at permanent expansion charms. Either that, or they paid top Galleon for the finest charms masters of the day.

Having passed through it when he entered the house, he knew the first floor housed the entrance hall, formal dining room, ball room, reception room, dual half-bathrooms, various storage cupboards, and access to the courtyard garden complete with a glass conservatory and high privacy walls in the back of the house. He hadn't been down to the kitchen or sublevel yet, but hopefully he could check those out after talking to his uncles.

Entering the second floor study, Harry was greeted by his uncles. "Alright, Harry? I hope you didn't get lost." Sirius said with a wink.

"No, Uncle Siri, I found my way easy enough, but why in Merlin's name your family build a damn mansion in the middle of some muggle row houses makes no sense to me!"

Sirius scoffed, "Please, you mean this old shack?" he asked with a mock superiority. "If I remember Black family history lessons with my delightful hag of a mother correctly, Grimmauld Place was built as a second home closer to the Ministry. Business and Wizengamot deals, you see? Eventually a great great-grandfather of mine moved the Black family seat here, while the Black cousins have dwelled in the old country Manor home near Blackpool. I haven't seen that home sense before I went to Hogwarts. Still as Lord Black, I probably own it, I suppose…" he trailed off with a thoughtful expression as if surprised about owning a second mansion in the same country.

"Any way, enough of the history lesson! We'll need to take a look at the Potter and Black assets soon since you'll be coming into your inheritance sooner than later if everything goes to plan. Which brings us back to the purpose of this meeting. I now call to order this meeting, planning your grand prank on the Wizarding World tonight at Hogwarts!

Harry shared a look with Remus as they rolled their eyes, Remus spoke up first, "Padfoot, while I appreciate your enthusiasm as a fellow Marauder, let's be clear, no explosions, nifflers, potions, or anything else that will divert the purpose of tonight." Sirius pouted, but before he could say anything else Harry cut him off.

"Look Uncle Siri, we can give it an operation name or something if it makes you happy, but tonight should be simple. Enter the great hall, present myself for my magical signature verification, and try not to look giddy with excitement about being in the tournament. Check, check, and check!" Harry ticked off the three points with his fingers, looking smug.

"Hold your Hippogriffs, Harry." Remus interrupted with a smirk of his own. "While those are three valid points, particularly that last one, this will be your first public appearance in Wizarding Britain and the wider Wizarding world as a whole. Remember at the very least the magical communities of Europe will be seeing this in their newspapers by the weekend at the latest."

Harry gulped, feeling a bit more pressure about the whole thing when it was put like that, but Remus gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze and continued.

"Relax, cub. I'm not trying to worry you. I'm just saying we need to plan a little bit in regard to how you present yourself. Like it or not, you are extraordinarily famous in our world. You're also the Potter and Black heir, at least until the unlikely event that this old mutt settles down and procreates." He jerked his head towards Sirius who looked scandalized at the idea.

"Now, I'm not saying you must pretend to be something you're not. Remember, the muggle military strategist, Sun Tzu's words; The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting. This isn't about scaring off Voldemort, which is unlikely in any event, but it may clear the field a bit allowing us to move more freely. Everyone will want a piece of you for your money, influence, name, power…. You get the idea. Presenting yourself as a confident and capable young man should divert the less savory characters viewing you as their next meal ticket."

"Alright, Uncle Moony, how do you think we should play this then?" asked Harry, feeling intrigued.

Remus rubbed his hands together with a mischievous grin that caught their attention. "So, it goes like this…"

~HP~GW~ ~HP~GW~

The bell rang, ending the last class of the day for Ginny. Tuesdays were particularly brutal on account of her starting with double potions that took up the whole morning, then History of Magic where she struggled to stay awake, finally finishing with Transfiguration which she always had to work harder in to keep good marks.

She had a couple of hours until dinner began and knew she should probably spend that time in the library getting ahead on her essays. Looking out the window though, she spotted the sun peaking out from the clouds, most of yesterday's rainy weather having moved on. Grinning to herself, she decided to grab her broom and see if she could get an hour of flying in.

Thirty minutes later she was walking briskly down to the entrance hall, having dropped her bag off in the dorm and given her roommates the slip. All the talk in Gryffindor tower was still focused on Harry and the headmaster's announcement from that morning. Rather than join in and most likely wind up annoyed, she stuck with her plan to head to the Quidditch pitch. Flying always helped clear her mind. It seemed like all her worries just stayed on the ground when she was zooming around a hundred meters in the air.

She enjoyed the feelings of freedom flying brought her and an hour later she, just when she was about to head back inside to get cleaned up for dinner, a beautiful snowy owl fell into formation with her. The owl had an intelligence in its eyes and let out a low hoot in greeting. Delighted that the gorgeous bird seemed to enjoy the companionship, she spent another ten minutes leisurely flying with her new friend before it took off towards the owlery.

Sighing in contentment, she watched the owl until it was out of sight and circled back to the ground. She checked the time and realized that dinner was starting in a few minutes. All plans for a shower and change of clothes quickly left her, she locked her broom up in the storage room before trudging up the hill to the castle doors.

~HP~GW~ ~HP~GW~

Ginny arrived in the Great Hall to find that it was mostly full. Spotting her Natalie and Lindy sitting in their usual spot next to Ron, Neville, and Hermione, she quickly made her way over and plopped down between the two groups.

"Hi, Ginny! Have a good fly?" An excited looking Hermione greeted her.

Ginny smiled even as her eyes narrowed. "Yes, I did, thank you very much. And may I ask what has you in such a fine mood this evening?"

"Well… I think some big announcement with the tournament is going to happen tonight!" Hermione answered in hushed voice. "Look up at the staff table. Notice that the Ministry representatives are all still here, along with the photographer from the Daily Prophet."

Her eyes darted up to confirm what the older witch was saying. Then, with a sinking feeling, she looked down at the Gryffindor track suit she was still wearing from her flight. Glancing over towards the doors, she saw that they were now closed.

She groaned audibly and let out some choice swears she picked up from the twins. Hermione was quick to admonish her language while Lindy and Natalie asked her what was wrong. "I… it's nothing. I was just hoping dinner would be a quick affair tonight so I could head back to the dorms and shower." She covered quickly. It helped that this was the truth, but it now didn't quite fit the context for her outburst. Fortunately, they appeared to buy the excuse, though Hermione's gaze did linger a little too knowingly for her liking. She growled internally at her friend's inquisitive nature, cheeks turning slightly pink in embarrassment before she crushed the feeling. To distract from any further conversation, she loaded up her plate and dug in.

~HP~GW~ ~HP~GW~

The main dinner dishes were being cleared and pudding was being served when two booming knocks sounded on the doors to the Great Hall. The lighting in the room dimmed somewhat and confused looks were traded by students up and down the house tables as Albus Dumbledore stood up. "It appears our guests have arrived". He announced to the hall. With a wave of his hand the large doors swung inward to reveal three tall figures in finely crafted travelling cloaks.

Faces obscured by the shadows of their drawn hoods, the three began walking purposefully up the center aisle to approach the staff and Ministry officials. Judging by their broad shoulders and strong gaits, the three figures were men. Ginny felt a shiver of anticipation go up her spine. The man in the middle of the trio was slightly shorter than his companions and his presence felt familiar to her. A slow smile started to spread across her face.

When the figures reached the base of the dais where the staff table sat, they removed their hoods. Ginny recognized him immediately, though it was clear he'd grown a lot in the last year and a half. Feeling her heart rate pick up she was totally focused on the scene before her. The rest of the hall were similarly enthralled by the spectacle, though they did not recognize any of the men.

"Headmaster Dumbledore," Harry began with a small bow, arms splayed, his voice projecting clearly through the hall. "As requested by the Tri-Wizard Tournament committee, I, Harry James Potter, am here to present myself for a recording of my magical signature. Allow me to present my guardians as well, Lord Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, with whom you are acquainted. I hope we can put this issue to rest here this evening."

Gasps and carrying whispers shot around the hall, the Prophet's photographer snapped off a few pictures. Students sitting further back were standing up in their seats trying to get a better look at the Boy-Who-Lived.

Ginny glanced at the head table and took in the faces there. Dumbledore seemed as serene as ever. Maxime and Karkaroff were eyeing Harry appraisingly. Most of the professors seemed shocked, though she wasn't sure why. McGonagall give a such a brief eyeroll she wasn't sure she saw it. Moody's magical eye was zooming all over them while his regular eye fixed Harry with a hard stare. Perhaps unsurprisingly, though it took her back a little nonetheless, Snape looked absolutely furious at the sight of the three men before him.

"Welcome to Hogwarts, Mr. Potter! Sirius, Remus, it's good to see you both. Thank you for making the journey on such short notice." Dumbledore greeted them, stretching his hands out wide, eyes twinkling madly. "I know you have travelled far; shall we send for some dinner for you?"

Sirius spoke up, voice hard, "No thank you, Albus. I for one would like to see this farce resolved immediately." Remus inclined his head in agreement.

Snape scoffed and was opening his mouth, no doubt to hurl insults, but the headmaster overrode him. "I understand, Lord Black. Let us dally no longer then! My fellow judges, if you'll allow me the honors, I shall take Mr. Potter's measure now… Ah! Alastor, the parchment with Mr. Potter's name if you please." He said, turning to the grizzled old Auror.

Parchment slip now in hand, Dumbledore strode around to the front of the table and approached Harry. Harry was forced to turn, giving the hall behind him their first glimpse of his face. He shot the students a grin as if totally confident he would soon be vindicated. Around her, Ginny felt, so much as heard, what must've been nearly every girl from Gryffindor and Hufflepuff let out a collective sigh. She assumed the response was similar at the Ravenclaw and Slytherin tables on the other side of the hall. Unfortunately, she couldn't really blame them, she thought sullenly.

"Here we are, Mr. Potter. Have you ever had your magical signature recorded before?"

"Yes, sir. When I bought a wand from Mr. Ollivander and a few other times besides. I'm familiar with the spell, please continue." Harry answered, confident and polite.

"Wonderful! I'll begin with you first then. For the benefit of the other judges and our audience, I will draw the Norse rune, Ingwaz, and tie both your scan and that of the parchment to it. Should the rune glow blue, it will represent a match between the two signatures. Agreed?" Harry nodded his consent.

Dumbledore drew what looked like a double stacked X in the air with fiery lines. He then waved his wand in a complicated pattern over Harry. Nodding his head as if satisfied, he repeated the process on the parchment he levitated in the air. For a moment the crowd collectively held their breath…

Then the rune burned a bright blue, casting shadows and causing those staring directly at it to see spots in their vision, before fading from existence. After a brief pause, pandemonium broke out.

Kararoff and Maxime were on their feet shouting. Snape's sneer was as vicious as any had ever seen. About half the Hogwarts students were cheering, while the other half along with the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students were loudly protesting. In the Hufflepuffs' case, it was mostly out of loyalty to Cedric, which was expected.

Ginny only had eyes for Harry though, and while his face clearly showed shock at the situation, she thought she saw a glint of something for a moment in his eyes before it disappeared. Recognizing some talented acting, her eyes narrowed. "What're you up to, Harry?"

Several minutes later, the hall was still full of loud exclamations. The judges were having a heated discussion, but someone had clearly put up a privacy charm as no sound was coming from their direction. All the sound stopped though, when a crack like thunder rolled over the ears of everyone present.

Everyone's heads turned to the source, which was none other than Harry Potter. Ginny thought he looked magnificent standing on the dais with his head held high. His travel cloak was opened slightly revealing a strange dark green leather trench coat beneath. There was a palpable air of power about him, as his striking eyes seemed to glow with an inner fire while he scanned the hall. Seeing that he had everyone's full attention, he spoke in a low, hard, voice.

"I am unimpressed by the reactions I've seen here tonight. Particularly since I have already proved to the investigating officials that I was not in the country for the period in question, nor was I for many months before that. Let me make one thing very clear…" Harry raised an intricately carved white and gold wand and spoke in a clear voice. "I, Harry James Potter, did not enter, nor conspire with another to enter, my name in the Goblet of Fire. This I swear upon my honor as a Wizard and Heir to the Noble and Most Ancient Houses of Potter and Black. To those seeking to impugn my honor without proof, tread carefully."

The hall remained silent as he looked over those in attendance. No one seemed keen on speaking up against him after he laid down the gauntlet of Noble house honor. The financial and political power behind the Potter and Black names was more than enough to subdue any immediate public challenges. Ginny grinned at that excellent move; it was no magical oath on Harry's part, but it did put the onus of proof back onto anyone claiming he had cheated his way into the tournament.

He continued now in a much gentler voice, "My solicitors will be liaising with the Ministry regarding this matter. From what I understand, I have been entered into a very dangerous tournament by an unknown individual or individuals, while being under the age required to participate. The goals of this person or persons remain unclear, however, it is likely they are seeking my harm. I hope you all can understand my situation, and seeing as how I am enrolled in no formal school; know that I am not seeking to usurp any of the other champions' glory." He paused and stared over at the visiting school heads.

Turning back to the students "I can only hope that you'll give me a chance to prove myself, and that we may become friends over the duration of my stay here at Hogwarts. That is the stated goal of this tournament, is it not?"

Finally turning back to Dumbledore, who was beaming at him, he finished. "Headmaster, you were correct earlier when you said we had travelled far today. If there is nothing else pressing to discuss at the moment, Sirius, Remus, and I will need to see about accommodation. I'm sure you understand, but we did not journey here in ours." He finished cheekily.

Dumbledore chuckled. "But of course, Mr. Potter! Minerva will see you to one of the guest suites. If you'll take me up on the offer of food now, we'll send some up for your arrival."

The three men gave their appreciation and turned to follow stern Scottish witch out of the hall. Conversations picked up immediately with excitement taking precedent once more. Ginny was staring directly at him still when Harry's eyes snapped directly on hers. He grinned and gave her a subtle wink, before continuing out into the entryway.

She felt herself blush to the roots of her hair as she suddenly remembered her clothing for dinner that evening, but she was immensely pleased that Harry sought her out. At least for all of five seconds anyways, before the explosion of questions she got buried under by everyone in Gryffindor who saw the exchange. "Oh! you are so going to pay for that, Potter!" she thought ruefully.

A/N: First let me say – thank you for all the reviews, follows, and favorites! I haven't promoted anything myself on Reddit or anywhere yet, so it's really cool to this story getting some traction organically! I appreciate the feedback way more than I thought I would starting out.

On to the story itself – this chapter is ~1,000 words shorter than the previous two. I had to split it up because that just seemed like such a good place to leave it haha. Harry really threw Ginny to the gossip wolves with that move and knew exactly what he was doing! But it also served to allay some of her doubts that (let's be realistic) everyone would probably be feeling in her situation.

I had to stop myself from having Harry give a magical oath stating that he didn't enter his name in this chapter. I've loved seeing that in other stories and was very tempted to here, but conflict needs room to sprout. If I closed the door entirely on that potential line, it might make things a little too easy on our boy. Making this a question of honor though in an aristocratic society like magical Britain… well now we have options.

Progress on the story continues at pace. Let me know what you think, where you see, or would like to see, this go. For example, another trope I'm trying to fight off is making Harry have a phoenix animagus. Tell me that's a terrible idea… give me the strength to say no… please?