Chapter 3 Next stop magic.
Previously, Mistral, Central Station.
Oscar thought back on the few days since he had shared his past with his friends who had dragged him into a sleepover, and now they have been checking in on him, talking to him more than usual, and trying to engage him in activities however, he was worried about Nora and Ruby's growing closeness.
'I don't know why you were worried about them. As someone your age, it's natural to feel for someone like them,' Ozpin said in Oscar's mind.
'Well, it's not like you're on the receiving end of Nora's Ursaring hugs that feel like she's going to break your spine one of these days, and Ruby, she has a sister with a metal arm who can bend steel without it and an uncle who would literally filet me alive if he had the chance,' Oscar said as he saw the girl he had just been talking about approach him, wearing one of her bright smiles.
"Hey," Oscar said bashfully as Ozpin chuckled.
Ruby asked, "Can we talk for a minute?" and then dragged him off somewhere.
"What is this about Ruby? The last time we spoke alone, your uncle looked like he was about to split me in half," Oscar said as Ruby pulled him to a little corner inside the train station.
"I'll handle Qrow," Ruby said, giving Oscar a small wrapped box. "I just wanted to give you this, I wasn't aware of when your birthday was, and you probably didn't know either." Ruby rambled as Oscar opened the gift to find a small wristband that had several pendants of his friends' emblems.
"Wow, this is very nice, Ruby. Thank you." Oscar said, admiring the band before trying to slip it on himself, having trouble with the clasp before Ruby reached over and helped him gently squeezing his hands.
"Are you okay? I was just wondering because ever since Nora overheard us, you've been quiet lately," Ruby asked.
"It's just that I wasn't expecting this type of reaction; I thought some people would treat me like I was fragile or dislike me because I couldn't defend myself," Oscar said as Ruby gave his hand a firmer squeeze.
"So you were expecting us to kick you out of the group just because a child couldn't defend themselves against someone who was supposed to look after them? "I don't know where you get these delusions from, and one of these days I will squeeze them out of you," said Ruby with determination. Her silver eyes locked with the green-hazel ones of her companion. As two men suddenly appeared in front of them, causing an abrupt interruption.
"Look, here Dee, it looks like we have two potential customers who can take advantage of our special offer for just 500 Lien, which includes top-notch security provided by a renowned Huntsman duo," one of the men said to his partner.
"Well, let me think⦠No, I believe we will be just fine." Ruby replied.
"Can you believe that Dudley, the lass thinks she can defend herself? Dee asked his friend.
"Perhaps the lass might want a real man Dee, not this runt," Dudley said and Ruby looked over at Oscar who gave a downcast look and even flinched at the name Dudley which she filed for later.
"Two things, I'd rather hang out with Oscar here than a couple of jerks like you, and two, I suggest you apologize for what you said; otherwise, something horrible is going to happen."
"Oh yeah, who will make me a little girl?" Dee asked only to get interrupted by a cough as he turned to see the rest of Ruby's friends.
"Besides being a trained huntress, you have the rest of us to worry about. Now get away from the cute farm boy or we'll be taking out the trash," Nora answered, holding Magnhild in hammer form, causing the two to run.
"And they called themselves Huntsman, more like Hunts-lame," Yang said, getting everyone to snicker.
"Ok, That one was hilarious," Nora said, but her attention was quickly drawn to the object on Oscar's wrist. "Damn it, Ruby! I thought we agreed to wait until we arrived at Argus for the gifts!"
"Gifts?" Oscar asked, but before he could get an answer, a horn signaled that their train was about to leave.
"Well, to make a long story short, Jaune has a sister living up in Argus, and we are planning a surprise party for you," Nora explained, giving Ruby a disapproving look. Ruby simply shrugged in response. Nora then turned to Ruby and added, "Until someone decided to give their gift early." After that, Nora and the others gathered their belongings and boarded the train.
"Hey, are you okay? Ruby asked Oscar with concern. "You seem stressed out because of Dudley."
"You don't have to go through all this trouble of setting up a party," Oscar said dodging the question and looking down in embarrassment as Ruby grabbed his hands.
"I know, but we want to make sure you're not alone," Ruby replied. She then leaned over to kiss him on the cheek, but Oscar looked up, so she ended up touching his lips instead.
After pulling away, Ruby realized what she had done. Oscar cupped her face and kissed her back, and the two teens pulled back, breathless. They looked at each other with crazy grins as the train horned again. Ruby grabbed Oscar's hand, and they zoomed off in a mix of red and green flower petals, boarding the train just as the doors closed, luckily with their friends' help packing their stuff. "Well, that would close one, right Pine?" Ruby asked as she noticed Oscar covered in a few flower petals before she brushed them off, brushing his cheek accidentally which he leaned into. "Well, let's go find the others. You're welcome to join us in our cabin if you want,"
Oscar watched her rush off to find her friends, his mind lingering on their kiss before thoughts turned to Ozpin. "Calm yourself, Oscar, you weren't the first incarnation to have a love life," Ozpin reassured him.
Oscar said, "So it doesn't bother you that I have feelings for one of your students?"
"No, I'm happy for both of you. I thought Miss Rose wasn't interested in anything romantic, but there was a time she tried to find a boyfriend. Unfortunately, anyone she connected with wasn't interested or rejected her, Ozpin explained.
"Who?" Oscar asked upset at the thought of anyone rejecting one of the nicest girls he had ever met, causing Ozpin to laugh.
"You know, Glenda and I had a little side bet that if she did get together with anyone, it would be either Arc or Schnee. But it seems they are more likely to get together soon," Ozpin said since having the two get closer after Jaune saved her life.
"So, what are my chances?" Oscar inquired.
"For you two to get to each other, or me ending up with a new host? I say highly for the first and I would suggest avoiding Qrow and Xiao Long if I were you or at least until they calm down," Ozpin answered as Oscar nodded before looking for his guy friends.
#
Later on, Ruby made her way to a compartment to find her friends sitting. As Ruby greeted her friends, she noticed the knowing smirks on Nora's and Blake's faces as they sat down next to her. Suddenly, Nora asked, "So, was Oscar a good kisser or not?"
Ruby was caught off guard and turned to see Yang, who was not paying attention. "What? No, who told you that?" Ruby asked, confused.
Blake chimed in, "Well, you just did." Ruby felt embarrassed and hid her face with her hood as the train began to shake.
" Hey, we have work to do," Qrow called as the others rushed out to see what was going on, Ruby took a breath of relief and silently thanked the Grimm for getting her out of the awkward situation before she caught up to her friends who climb the ladder on top of the train to see the two local Huntsman fighting off a bunch of Manticores with Sphinx behind them only to see one of the Huntsman got knocked off the train as a few Manticores jumped off to finish off the poor soul the other one seeing his partner just got mauled dropped his weapon before running past them.
"Amateurs," Qrow said, taking out a few of the Manticores while the others joined him. Team JNPR had just climbed aboard before they noticed the turrets popping up on the train as Dudley fumbled with some controls.
"Can someone get that idiot to turn those things off?" Qrow called as Oscar made his way over there. The others continued to fight, only to hear Oscar call out in response.
"Tunnel!"
The group turned to see the tunnel ahead. As they jumped through the gaps, the Grimm fell back. "Is everyone okay?" Ruby asked, noticing Dudley's broken arm. Qrow scolded him while Weiss saw the Grimm still following them.
"We still have a problem; the Grimms are still following us," said Wiess.
"Ren, can you mask the whole train? We might be able to lose them that way," Ruby suggested as Ozpin took over from Oscar.
"There's one problem with that," Ozpin said, pointing at the lamp.
"And when were you going to tell us this?" Yang said, getting upset before Ruby pushed her back.
"Enough! We should have expected this; Salem is interested in the relics. It would make sense if she trained her pets to track them," Ruby said, surprising her sister when she defended Oscar.
"So why don't we just toss the lamp?" Jaune suggested, only to receive a glare from the others.
"That's a brilliant idea; let's give the biggest enemy of Remnant an item that can answer any question she wishes," Weiss said sarcasm dripping from her voice.
"But isn't that a thing from them? Ozpin did say that they can only ask three questions every 100 years." Blake pointed out.
Ruby asked, "Ozpin, when was the lamp last used?" Ozpin paused in thought which answered your question, "So, in a few months, it be fully charged."
"You can say that," Ozpin nodded as the group looked back at each other.
"All right, we'll split up. One team takes the passengers to safety, while the other holds off the Grimm." Ruby said as her team and her uncle decided to hold them off, while Team JRN agreed to stay, she turned to see Oscar nearly collapsing.
"I'm fine, you didn't have to defend me, you know," Oscar said, noticing her kneeling next to him.
Ruby said, "I know it isn't fair for Yang to blame you for something you can't control." She paused and then added, "Are you all right?"
"It's just I got a feeling something is about to change," Oscar said, knowing it would be useless to hide it from her. Ruby took hold of his hand and ran her finger over his wristband.
" Then whatever it is we'll handle it together you don't have to be alone Ossy," Ruby said Oscar gave her a look at his nickname before they noticed they were coming to the end of the tunnel and making their way back to the group before going topside as they exit the tunnel.
The group turned to the exit of the tunnel to see the Grimm making their way out of it as Blake disconnected the train cars between them and the passengers.
"Here they come!" Ruby said, getting ready for a fight as the Grimm got closer. She and her team took them down one by one; she turned back to see Oscar struggling with a Manticore, having some difficulty with it before she managed to hook one of them and throw it over, knocking them both off the train.
After Ruby, Weiss, and Qrow defeated the Sphinx, it shot a fireball that derailed the train. Luckily, Weiss used a glyph to keep them on board; Oscar was hit by the fire, causing him to burn green.
' Oscar what's going on,' Ozpin called before he seemed to fade.
"Oscar!" Ruby cried out before she used Crescent Rose to break the glyph and zoomed her way over to him to help, patting the flames down, as the green fire blazed around them before they felt the train tipped.
#
Later, the Remnants regained consciousness with a slight ringing in their ears before realizing they were somehow in a dark forest. "All right, who's not dead? Sound off!" Qrow called, getting the rest of Team RWBY's attention.
" How long were we out," Yang groaned before she noticed the crash train wreck Weiss and Blake picked themselves up. as Ruby called out.
" I can use some help over here,"
The rest of the group turned to see Ruby holding Oscar's hand as the boy himself emitted a faint cloud of smoke. Weiss came over with a glyph to lightly blast some snow, extinguishing the leftover flames and leaving Oscar topless.
Qrow asked, "Ozpin, what the hell happened?" Not expecting an answer from behind.
" I'm, not sure,"
The group turned around to see their former Headmaster standing before them, wearing mismatched clothes and struggling to support his wobbly legs with his cane and the lamp hooked to his hip.
"What in the hell is going on here?" Yang exclaimed in shock as her hair flared up, while Blake tried to get their attention to no avail.
"Ok, is there anyone else here that shouldn't be?" Qrow asked an old lady as she emerged from the damaged train. Blake whistled loudly to get everyone's attention and pointed up to the undamaged moon. "You've got to be kidding me."
As the group became more chaotic, Ozpin brought two fingers to his lips and blew a sharp whistle, gaining their attention. "I don't know what's going on," he said, "but we get set up shelter, Ms. Xiao Long will return to the train to see if she can get the lights back on or find some flares." He paused for a moment before continuing, "Qrow, reconnoiter the area."
"Guys, I need some help here," Ruby called out, struggling to take care of the unconscious Oscar.
" Ruby, I think we got better things to worry about," Weiss said, not expecting her partner to snap at her.
"I don't care where we are; the only thing that matters is getting Oscar stable," Ruby said as she worried more about Oscar than her surroundings.
" Miss Rose, I know you're worried about young Oscar, but we need to stay calm. Worrying may attract any Grimm nearby," Ozpin said warning them of the possible threat that might have followed them.
"Then how do you explain him bursting into green flames?" Weiss asked, pointing out the obvious. Suddenly, the lights on the train turned on, illuminating the area.
"And we have lights and some flares here," Yang said carrying a handful of pistols.
Blake replied, "Yang, I don't think they would help us in our current situation." Her eyes remained fixed on the intact moon. Then Ruby shot up to her feet and turned to face the pair.
"But it might let anyone nearby know that we need help, especially Oscar," she explained determinedly. Suddenly a large black cat jumped out of the bush and made his way over to Oscar.
" Hey, are you lost little guy?" Ruby called to the cat with baby blue eyes as it looked up, while the others noticed the fresh scars on its shoulder from a recent fight.
" Does anyone have an idea where this cat came from?" Weiss asked as the cat looked back at Oscar with a concerned look as Ruby threw her cloak over him, protecting him from the cold air and concealing the scars.
"Disgusting, aren't they? They make me almost excited about what I'm going to do when I get my hands on the scumbags that did this." Ruby murmured to herself, and the cat appeared to understand her words. She turned to her friends and asked, "Does anyone know where the first aid kit is?"
" I believe the train has an on-site hospital, " Ozpin said as he looked over the train and noticed the car with the medical supplies was tipped over.
"I got it, Oz boss!" Yang exclaimed as she grabbed the train car, slightly struggling to lift it only for her to suddenly feel its energy surge and instantly lift the train car right side up. "Wow!" everyone who witnessed gasped.
Ozpin said, "Ms. Xiao Long, please don't move." He knelt to observe the vines that were wrapped around her legs and grabbed one of them. His body shimmered in an emerald green color for a moment before he looked up to see Qrow sitting atop a tree.
The cat noticed the bird and turned back into its human form when it chirped at Qrow.
" Oz, there's something wrong with that cat," Qrow said as the cat stood up on his hind legs with his front paws up, before shifting into a young boy, with reddish hair and bluish hazel eyes.
"Technically, I'm a black Jaglion," Jacob said as he nervously scratched the back of his head, which reminded his audience of Oscar, who had a similar tick when he got nervous.
As Qrow asked, "Is there a difference?" Getting some laughter from the group. "Kid, you said there was a castle southwest of here?" He asked, receiving a nod in return. "Funny, the only thing I saw were ruins, and no civilization for miles around."
Oz looked at him and said, "Are you sure?" Qrow nodded in response.
"Do you have a name son?" Oz asked.
"Well, you see, I'm not allowed to give out my information to strangers," the boy said as Ozpin smiled.
"That's pretty smart, Professor Ozpin, Headmaster of Beacon Academy," he said, gesturing toward himself. "This is an associate of mine, Qrow Branwen, along with his nieces, Yang and Ruby, and their friends, Weiss Schnee and Blake Belladonna."
"My name is Jacob Potter," Jacob said as he introduced himself. Ozpin hummed to himself before turning his attention back to Jacob.
"It looks like your young friend could use some help," said Jacob, taking a step forward. Suddenly, there was a loud bang, and a red flare hit the ground next to his feet. He looked up to see Yang raising a gauntlet that looked like it had a gun barrel attached to it.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" she said, her eyes flashing red.
"Yang, this is not how we treat our guests," Qrow said, reprimanding her. Yang huffed and her eyes turned back to purple.
"I apologize for my students' behavior. We were just passing through a hostile environment," Ozpin explained politely. "Do you also go by Jay?" Jacob's expression confirmed that he did. "Well, Mr. Potter, can you tell us where we are?" Ozpin asked.
" You're in Scotland professor," Ozpin nodded at his answer and turned to his colleagues.
"I believe we are not on Remnant anymore," Ozpin whispered before turning back to Jacob. " Well, one more thing Mr. Potter, do you have any idea how we got here," Ozpin asked.
"Before I answer, can you tell me if there is a Harry Potter in your group? Jacob asked.
Ozpin shook his head. "No, I'm afraid I haven't. Who is he to you?" Some of the others exchanged a look.
" He's my brother," Jacob answered. The tension in the air was palpable as the group suddenly raised their weapons at Jacob. Ruby, a fierce protector, stood in front of her friend and aimed her rifle at Jacob's head, ready to defend him with all her might.
Yang loaded a shell into her gauntlet, her face contorted with pure hatred as she exclaimed, "I've been waiting for this moment for so long." The other Remnants quickly followed suit, loading their weapons and preparing for a fight.
As the wise and experienced Headmaster, Ozpin raised his hand and called out, "Hold! Let's get the full story before we take any drastic actions." His words had an immediate effect, and the group slowly lowered their weapons, their eyes still fixed on Jacob.
Ruby was the last to lower her weapon, her eyes darting back and forth between Jacob and her companions. "The Headmaster is right," she said, her voice calm but firm. "For all we know, this one wasn't a part of it." Even though she lowered her weapon, she kept it at the ready, ready to spring into action if needed.
Jacob breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that Ozpin had intervened before things got out of hand. He listened intently, hoping that Sirius had some kind of plan in place to help him out of this dangerous situation.
" Oh really how can you tell?" Weiss said in a sarcastic tone.
" He doesn't match the description on the scum that hurt Oscar and looks about the same age as Oscar," Ruby muttered.
" Really, well my brother was the one who spearheaded the loss of my title as heiress, so to me the story is obvious," Weiss said. Jacob understood the seriousness of the situation remembering the scars he saw as Sirius made his move.
"Impedimenta!"
A spell was directed towards Yang, but she defended herself by crafting a golden energy barrier." She then turned her attention to Sirius, and with a fierce expression, shot a red flare which missed him by a hair's breadth. The attack hit a nearby tree, causing it to fall on top of Sirius. In the meantime, Jacob noticed that the others were not paying attention to him. He approached Oscar, while Ruby positioned herself between them.
"Move, Rose!" Jacob snarled. "Harry needs help, and you know it."
"If you care about Oscar, then you will let us take him to the hospital car where he will be far safer," Ruby said determinedly.
"He'll be far safer with us. Do you think you can protect him from the dangers of this world?" Jacob asked, not expecting Ruby's answer.
"Can you protect him from yourself?"
With a snarl, Jacob sent a disarming charm at her, knocking her weapon out of her hands. Only for Ruby to jump, transforming into a cloud of red flower petals, and catch her weapon aimed at Jacob as Jacob barely dodged a bullet. He noticed she had transformed it into a massive scythe, taking a swing at him, and scraping his arm.
As Jacob grabbed his arm, he was tackled by Ruby, who had adjusted her blade towards his neck. She noticed the cut on his arm. "Why didn't you engage your aura?"
Jacob looked up in confusion. "My what?"
Suddenly, Ozpin's voice boomed, "That's enough, children." As several more flares flew in their direction, he forcefully slammed his cane on the ground, creating a shield that deflected them.
Ozpin shouted, "I said enough!" His hand flared with electricity before he flicked it at their attackers, knocking them down. Jacob was in awe as he watched Ozpin take out several wizards, including Dumbledore and Mad-Eye, in one shot.
Qrow asked, "Oz, have you been holding out on us?" However, Ozpin didn't answer. Instead, he stared at his hand, then turned to the other wizards who were slowly getting up.
"Ow! Does anyone know the number of that hippogriff?" Bagman asked, but Ozpin stood in front of them and glared back. "I believe there's been a misunderstanding," Bagman said, trying to hide his nervousness with an embarrassed smile. "Is Harry Potter here somewhere?"
Ozpin responded calmly, "Perhaps." Bagman chuckled nervously, while the others noticed a new guest staring at Blake's cat ears. Crouch said, "The Goblet of Fire has chosen him to compete in the Triwizard Tournament. We need to talk to him."
Yang exclaimed, "Tournament? Nobody's signing up for any tournament."
Crouch explained that they need to speak to Harry, who is bound by a magical contract.
"How do you know you're not already speaking to him?" Ozpin asked, causing the wizards to take a second glance.
"Oh, please. You can't be Potter. You're not 14." Snape snark.
"Different universes, different time zones," Ozpin explained, shocking the wizards who believed the multiverse theory was a myth. "And who might you be?"
"I am Severus Snape, the potions master at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. You are trespassing," he replied.
"There is one tiny little problem with that, Mr. Snape. You said someone used this goblet to transport this Harry Potter, which transported us here. Ergo, we're not trespassing, as you technically invited us here." Weiss said, which made Snape grind his teeth.
"I think we're getting off-topic here," said Dumbledore. "Who are you, and what are you doing at my school?"
"I am Professor Ozpin, the Headmaster of Beacon Academy," replied Ozpin. "During our mission, some of my students and staff were attacked by hostiles. As for our reason to be here, Ms. Schnee has already explained it. We were brought here by this goblet. Speaking of which, I would like to see the contract, the goblet, and the rulebook of this tournament."
"Well, of course, Mr. Ozpin. I believe Barty here has a copy of both," Bagman said, not wanting to get on the bad side of a powerful wizard. His colleague glared at him before he gave up a copy of the contract and a rulebook. "Now, if you follow me, the goblet is just up this hill."
Ozpin addressed his students, "Ms. Schnee and Xiao Long, I require your assistance. Ms. Rose, could you please help our young friend on the train? We'll be back shortly. Qrow and Belladonna, you can either stay with Miss Rose to help her with Oscar or join us. It's your choice." Qrow decided to follow Ozpin, while Blake aided Ruby in lifting Oscar back onto the train. Jacob watched them disappear as Sirius struggled to crawl out from under the tree.
"Hey can someone help me," Sirius called only to finish, pulling himself out, as he noticed Jacob was standing in front of the train, and he was about to step inside, Qrow somehow got in front of him giving him a look as Sirius pulled his godson away.
So they made their way close to Hogwarts with the remnants stopping just behind the Wizards who outside of Ozpin seemed to be looking around before raising his cane as a dome of light appeared with a zipper-like opening which the remnants stepped through as their eyes and body flashed a few colors.
Jacob was taken aback when he saw the dome slowly disappear after they walked through it. "What in the world?!" he exclaimed. However, he quickly regained his composure when he realized that the others were still walking ahead of him. As they made their way towards the school, they suddenly found themselves in front of the Great Hall, drawing the attention of everyone in the vicinity, including a few students who were whispering.
" Jacob, What happened to you? Did you find your brother? Who are these people?" Hermione whispered to Jacob who ignored her as he stared over at the Remnants.
"Why is Professor Dumbledore limping?" Hermione asked as she watched the Headmaster limp over with the others and Crouch.
" That one kicked his ass instantly," Jacob said pointing over at Ozpin who was staring at the Goblet of Fire, which had anyone who heard him start whispering which spread across the great hall.
" Preposterous! How can Hogwarts have three champions? I demand Durmstrang and Beauxbatons place two new champions," Karkaroff said with Maxime nodding.
" Impossible no new champions can be placed in as the goblet has been extinguished," Crouch said, only for said goblet to light up temporarily when Ozpin tapped it with a cane as the flames seemed to flow into it. Ozpin gave a light hum before he raised his cane with an upward slash creating a vortex of green flames he pressed his hand on it seemingly going through before he pulled it back and gave it a fascinated look.
" I believe we have found a way home, but the bad news is I believe the Goblet is keeping some of us here," Ozpin said as the wizards who saw that had their mouths dropped.
"This thing is keeping us here," Yang said, pointing towards the overgrown coffee cup. Before something in the back of Jacob's mind told him to duck she grabbed it with her left arm and hurled it across the room smashing it against the wall and surprising the room with her strength. " Problem solved."
"Ms. Xiao Long, I suggest you don't do anything reckless like that again." Ozpin scolded. " I would have thought you learned your lesson the last time you let your emotions get the better of you."
Yang briefly clenched her prosthetic arm as Bagman complained. "Do you have any idea how old that is?"
"It's not like that thing left my friend with first-degree burns on him," Yang replied.
" Watching it young lady has a man ever taught you any manners," Bagman said and Yang's eyes flashed red causing Bagman to stumble.
"Mr. Bagman, I suggest you watch what you say around my students. They may take quite a liking to it, and I might not be able to save you in time," Ozpin said as he gave Bagman a sharp look before turning back to the other Wizards.
"So, does the contract specify which school Harry Potter will fight for?" Ozpin inquired.
"But you said you were Harry Potter!" Bagman shouted over the whispering in the Great Hall.
"You just thought I did, but the only thing I said is there was a possibility that my world might be in a different time zone," Ozpin said before he noticed Moody seemed a bit uneasy. "Are you okay over there?"
Moody snapped back, "I'm doing just fine, keep to your own business." He took a swig from his hip flask, only to notice it was crushed.
"I hope that wasn't too expensive," Qrow whined, causing Moody to panic as he realized he needed to leave soon to avoid trouble. Dumbledore interrupted, refocusing the conversation.
"Let's get back on track. Where is Mr. Potter? We need to ensure he settles back into school and with his family." As Dumbledore locked eyes with Ozpin, he suddenly found himself knocked to the ground, causing his staff to panic.
Ozpin's voice was stern as he held an old memory tightly in his hand. The wizards who were in his presence felt uneasy as he warned them against trying to read the minds of any of his students. The implication was clear: if Ozpin ever found out that anyone was attempting to do so, there would be severe consequences. The tension in the air was palpable as the wizards silently acknowledged the gravity of his warning.
" Isn't that illegal?" Qrow asked as Sirius gave her a so-so motion.
" Not really, depending on who did it to whom and if it's a good reason at best he's going to get a slap on the wrist."
"Also, doesn't your school have a champion already, as these two pointed out?" Weiss pointed to Karkaroff and Maxime. "It will give your school a better chance of winning; and who says Oscar was going to join your school as according to the Triwizard rules, Chapter 7, Section 5, Paragraph 23, If a champion desires, he or she may choose a school or house to represent, as long as they have permission from three known judges."
"She's right, it says so right here," Bagman said, pointing out the exact rule to everyone as Ozpin gave them a smug smile. The other two Headmasters agreed along with Bagman, who looked like he just wanted to be out of there.
"Excellent, if you excuse me, I have a Champion to prepare and some staff to collect," Ozpin said as he made his way out of the Great Hall with his companions following behind him. Moody raced out of the hall past them only to trip on his false leg and eye, knocking both off.
"Hey Mr, it seems as though you may have lost something," Yang spoke up, holding out Mad-Eye's prosthetic leg. Only then did she realize that it had been replaced with a flesh-and-bone foot. The oversized jacket Moody was wearing drew attention to his form as he stood up to scan the area, catching the curious gazes of those around him.
"Uh-oh," Moody muttered, his voice sounding younger than his appearance, as he noticed the onlookers who recognized him. Suddenly realizing he had been exposed, Barnabas Crouch Jr. grabbed a first-year Hufflepuff student from the nearby table.
"Let her go, asshat!" Qrow shouted, aiming his weapon at him. The action caught Junior's attention, and he quickly dropped the wand to the first-year's neck.
"Back up or I will blow this one's head off!" Crouch Jr. shouted.
"Let's not do anything hasty here, junior," Sirius said as he raised his hands and his wand as well.
"Do you know this man?" Weiss asked as she and Yang aimed their weapons at him.
"Unfortunately, he was a resident of Azkaban, the local prison, where he served time for his association with the Dark Wizard, Voldemort. There have been a few cases of him killing women and children all over Europe in his name," Sirius explained as he saw the Remnants tightening their grips on their weapons and glaring at the man.
"Unless you want this one to join them, drop those muggle toys of yours." Crouch Jr. said only to notice a large shadow behind them. He turned to see a giant knight that appeared to be made out of ice. It had grabbed and lifted him, causing him to let go of the girl and his wand as he struggled to get out of its grip. "Hey! Let me go!"
"If you insist," Weiss said as the wizards noticed she had a glyph under her feet in the shape of a snowflake and a sword through it; the knight slammed Crouch Jr. into the floor and set its foot on top of him.
"Stupid Mudblood," Junior groaned, only for the knight to increase the pressure with his foot.
"I don't think you're in the position to make threats now. I would advise you to surrender if I were you," Yang said as she knelt next to him, nodding to her partner who tapped her sword again, increasing the pressure and cracking Junior's ribs as he slammed his hand against the floor the next thing he knew, he was encased in ice with only his face poking out.
"Well, guess that will keep you in there until you chill out," Yang said, causing the people who heard her to groan, except for a pair of twins.
"I think that's enough excitement for the day; if you excuse me, I believe me and my students have a champion to prepare. Enjoy the rest of your day." Ozpin said as he and the rest of his people exited the Great Hall, the occupants, especially the two foreign Headmasters, realized that they had made a deal with someone far more powerful than themselves, wondering just how powerful the rest of his students were.
#
Gryffindor common room
In the evening, the Gryffindor Common room was abuzz with talk about their recent visitor. "Shouldn't we be worried that the Yankees have become so strong?" McLaggen asked.
" I think they said something about a different world," Neville commented.
"Who cares? Did you see that blonde? She was amazing," Dean commented. "Hey, Potter, have you seen the other students? Are they as attractive as Blondie?"
The boy in question was currently pacing by the fireplace lost in thought, while those in the common room watched him closely.
"If I try to explain myself, they'll likely shoot me before I can even speak," he muttered to himself. Suddenly, Hermione approached him and placed a hand on his shoulder, causing him to jump into a defensive stance. "Hermione, you're going to give someone a heart attack one day," Jacob said, trying to calm his racing heart.
"I've been trying to talk to you for five minutes now," Hermione said, forcing Jacob to sit down in one of the chairs. She glanced over at the others in the room, who quickly resumed their activities.
"I take it you found your brother," Hermione said as Jacob nodded. "So what's bothering you?"
"When I saw him I noticed these scars he had; his friends believe me and my family were the ones to cause them. And I'm afraid his friends won't listen to any explanation I might give, especially this red-hooded girl who seems the closest to him." Jacob said as Hermione gripped his hand.
"Hey, how about this the first thing in the morning both of us walked down there, I doubt they will attack us both," Hermione suggested with the idea in mind Jacob nodded.
"Does anyone else think this is suspicious?" Ron asked. "I mean, they came in here and assaulted Dumbledore, for crying out loud."
"Dumbledore shot first, so technically they were defending themselves," Jacob said as he got up from his seat to stare down the redhead.
"You know, I find it convenient your name and your brother came out of the goblet," Ron said as Jacob looked at him like he was an idiot.
"Did you not see the literal death eater that just exposed? You know what, I don't have time to deal with this. I'm off to bed, said Jacob, as he decided to get some sleep.
"Ronald, can you please show some empathy toward your best friend? His brother has technically come back from the dead, and he's going through a lot right now," Hermione said, before leaving along with the others who were also heading to bed.
#
Meanwhile, in the Headmaster's office, Dumbledore focused on the parchment with Jacob's name, noticing the markings on the back that revealed it was the note he had placed in the Goblet of Fire. He had chosen to include his star student's name in the competition for reasons beyond last year's events. None of his previous plans had gone according to plan, starting with Jacob's first year when James was summoned to investigate the Philosopher's Stone and then subsequently removed it a few days later. Professor Quirrell then disappeared mysteriously. The following year, The Chamber of Secrets was opened, and despite casting a censorship ward on the owlery, the Aurors were still called. He now has to manage the chaos of the tournament and deal with Harry Potter's return.
'I knew I should have checked the words around the Dursleys myself, but I thought the problem was already settled. How did Potter get out of there? I bound his magic so tight he should have been a squib.' Dumbledore thought, knowing if he hadn't taken Harry, his parents would never agree to separate the twins, even if he told him he was a squib.
'Oh well, a simple accident during the tournament will fix that.'
But unknown to Dumbledore, this chess game has already been zugzwang before he can start.
#
Sirius's apartment in Hogsmeade.
Sirius hesitated as he stared at the hand mirror in his hand, but eventually decided to call out, "James, are you there?" A moment later, James smiled at Sirius in the mirror only to notice his friend's look.
"Is there something wrong Padfoot?" James asked.
" You and Lily should come down here immediately," Sirius requested After they arrived, Sirius gestured for them to take a seat and shared the news that Jacob's name had been chosen by the Goblet of Fire a little while ago.
"Is our little Panther okay?" Lily asked, quickly getting up from her seat. However, Sirius gestured for her to sit back down.
"He's fine, but there's another matter we need to discuss, the Goblet of Fire had chosen another name, Harry's," Sirius said. " Which indirectly lead me to a train accident near the Forbidden Forest."
"My baby boy is alive and here? Then why isn't he with you or us?" Lily asked as she made her way to the door, only to find it locked.
"Lily! Sit down before your actions put us all in danger." Sirius shouted, making James and his wife flinch. "He wasn't alone, the people Harry came with were not happy about being forcibly dragged here, and considering Harry was injured on the way here and who you are, it wouldn't surprise me if they would shoot you on site."
"What do you mean, Black? Why are they not allowing us to see our son? asked James.
"Well, judging by the scars I saw that resembled a belt buckle, I have my suspicions, Potter," Sirius growled, causing the Potters to understand his insinuation.
"Boys, this is getting out of hand," Lily called. "Sirius, do you think I would allow James to favor one twin over the other, even if Harry were a squib? I'd give Dumbledore a good smack for suggesting such a thing."
"I think, I overreacted, Lily," Sirius said, as they calmed down. "By the way, Prongs, you might want to clear your schedule. There's a loophole in the Triwizard rules as Jay can represent his house. And It's best if you don't anger Oscar or his friends from Beacon Academy, especially if you don't want to cross Ozpin.
"Who's Oscar and why shouldn't we upset his friends?" asked Lily.
"Oscar is the name Harry is using, and it seems like the Headmaster is someone not to be messed with, as he might have whooped Dumbledore's ass instantly," Sirius explained causing his friends to react in shock.
"What?!"
