Godric stood alone in the Great Hall, at the front where the Goblet had been placed. His toes centimeters from the runes that had been drawn on the floor.
The Goblet stood innocuously on the three legged stool that Samuel sat on each year before he sorted the students. The large, wooden cup seemed to almost mock Godric from inside the thin, circular line that had been traced on the floor, the runes that made up that line glowed a soft, eerie blue.
In his hand he held a crumpled piece of paper with his name - Hogwarts Champion: Fay Dunbar - written in his scrawl.
Hogwarts Champion had been written quickly, where the name had taken him a while before he wrote the words down.
He stared at the Goblet for a while, his eyes watching the flames flicker and sputter. He stared for a good thirty minutes, at war with himself.
Dumbledore had placed an Age Line around the cup, but Age Lines didn't depend on the physical age of the person who attempted to cross them. The Line tested the age of the person's magic and Godric's magic was older than a seventeen year olds, stronger than a seventeen year olds, even.
He spent those thirty minutes listing all the reasons he shouldn't put his name in the goblet. Why he shouldn't even try.
Yet he wanted the thrill of adventure. He wanted the danger and the adrenaline rush and the fun.
Still, he shouldn't do it.
He had more important things he needed to focus on.
The wards.
The children.
Tom.
Salazar's voice, from their original time, echoed in his mind: "You are Hogwarts' Champion, no one else deserves that title."
He walked across the age line and put the parchment inside the flames.
The fire flared orange, then yellow, and then a blinding white before settling back to blue.
Godric turned his back on the cup and left.
- - - - Founders - - - -
That evening the three schools conjugated for the evening meal, but it was quiet as all eyes seemed to go back to the Goblet. The children waited with bated breaths. Even a few seated at the High Table kept throwing glances at the object. The table had been extended to allow the new additions sitting up there: the other schools' headmasters, Ludo Bagman, Bartemius Crouch, and Crouch's Undersecretary: Percivel Weasley.
The flames started to spit sparks into the air and Dumbledore stood, moving to stand beside the cup. He spoke quietly, yet the words were heard clearly throughout the entire hall, "Well, the goblet is almost ready to make its decision. I estimate that it requires one more minute. Now, when the champions' names are called, I would ask them please to come up to the top of the Hall, walk along the staff table, and go through into the next chamber," he gestured to the door behind the staff table, "where they will be receiving their first instructions."
Godric kept sedately eating his meal, unhurried and unworried.
Not once did he look up to glance at the other three during the entirety of the meal.
He watched everyone turn in their seats to stare, waiting. A few people kept glancing at their watches. Beside him Harry glanced over at Godric before the thrall of the Goblet called the boy's attention back to it.
Gasps alerted him to the change and he glanced up, the flames finally turning red. Sparks began to fly.
Godric carefully set his utensils down and turned, slipping his legs over the bench and rested his right ankle on his left knee. He waited.
A tongue of flame shot into the air, a bit of charred parchment pulled along with it. The children gasped in shocked wonder. Dumbledore caught the paper, read it, and said, "The champion for Durmstrang will be Victor Krum."
The Headmaster from Durmstrang yelled over the shouts and cheers, "Bravo, Vicktor! Knew you had it in you!"
Godric carefully eyed Viktor: the way he moved, the way he held himself, and the set determination on his face. He strode, almost stumbling over his own feet, into the adjoining chamber.
Eventually the clapping and chatter dissipated when a second tongue of flame leapt into the air with the second piece of parchment. Dumbledore once again caught it, read it, and announced, "The champion for Beauxbatons is Fleur Delacour!"
There were more yells and cheers, but Godric tuned them out, his entire focus on the girl. His eyes narrowed in thought at the fluid motion of her body, but how she didn't seem on alert, more at ease than anything.
Before she had left, the fire erupted once more and Dumbledore caught the floating parchment.
Instead of reading the name out instantly, the old man paused, hand tightening around the paper. And looked up right at Godric. Godric kept his face as a calm mask and waited. After a few seconds, Godric lowered his leg and leant forward, raising an eyebrow at the old man whose eye twitched.
Godric counted that as a win.
The whole student body seemed frozen, but when Dumbledore still said nothing, they followed the man's gaze and all of their attention fell on Godric.
He couldn't stop the grin beginning to grow on his face.
"Ric?" Harry whispered beside him, his words, even though low, could still be heard about the room. "Why's he staring at you?"
Godric leaned closer to the boy and answered, "Wait to hear what he has to say."
"Did you -" his words were cut off as the hall erupted into noise as the Goblet spat angrily, a few flames hitting Dumbledore's robes and the Headmaster had to hastily brush them off.
After another few seconds, Dumbledore took a breath and finally gritted out, "The champion for Hogwarts will be... Fay Dunbar."
There was applause - most likely only from his friends and the other two schools - as Godric stood up, but he didn't look away from Dumbledore. Before he completely left the room he heard Helga call out, "Well done, Ric!"
He chuckled. He turned and waved at her, answering, "Thank you, Helga."
He left the hall and went to the annex. He went in and immediately Krum's and Delacour's attention landed on him.
Delacour narrowed her eyes. "You're the Hogwarts champion? You look... young." Her accent lay thick and heavy and almost slurred from how quickly she stringed her words together.
Godric shrugged, but didn't answer. Krum didn't look pleased, but remained silent. When the door opened again, Godric expected to see the headmasters, the ministry workers, and perhaps one or two others.
He did not expect to see Harry.
He immediately went to the boy as Delacour asked, "Do they want us back in the room?"
Harry looked at Godric with wide eyes and fear, and he shook his head. "I didn't do it."
"What happened, Harry? Are you alright?"
Harry shook his head again in answer to Godric's question and when he went to say something, Dumbledore and the other headmaster's came in, along with McGonagall, Snape, Moody, Bagman, Crouch, and Percy Weasley.
Crouch immediately looked at Harry and Godric and demanded, "Did you put your names in the Cup?"
"No."
"Yes."
Everyone's attention immediately went to Godric, surprise and anger on their faces. "Miss Dunbar, are you telling us that you willfully went against what Professor Dumbledore asked of you?"
Professor McGonagall, of course.
"No, I didn't."
"You just said that you put your name in the Goblet, girl."
Godric turned and smiled at Moody, teeth bared, "I did. However, Professor Dumbledore did not ask us to not participate. He said we would be unable to participate as we would not be able to cross his age line. However!" His voice raised loudly as multiple voices tried to talk at once, and when they didn't listen to him he huffed and turned to Harry.
As the room erupted into a cacophony of noise, Godric ignored them all. He looked at the ashen face of Harry and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder and smiled kindly. "You didn't put your name in the goblet?"
"Miss Dunbar, we are speaking with you!"
"Turn around and face me, girl."
Harry shook his head. "No." He shrunk in on himself. "Do you believe me?"
"Of course I do. You're a terrible liar." Harry looked terrified and shaken, but he still glared at Godric's words, who was unrepentant. "That's not necessarily a bad thing, Harry. You shouldn't lie to family." He squeezed the boy's shoulder before releasing him.
"I am not competing with these... these children."
"Miss Dunbar, perhaps we can finish our conversation?"
"And you will not. They are too young, and Hogwarts can not have two champions."
"QUIET!" Moody finally roared and the room's occupants did as ordered. "Girl, explain yourself."
Godric didn't move and instead continued his conversation with Harry. "As you did not put your name in the Goblet, I'm sure that everyone here will do what they can to make sure you don't have to compete."
"Miss Dunbar, we are discussing your involvement, not Mr. Potter's," Dumbledore said.
He finally turned around and put his hands on his hips. "Except we should be discussing Harry's involvement as he did not willingly put his name in the goblet! I will explain my actions after we resolve this issue!"
"Someone must have put his name in under a different school," Moody finally groused, almost flippantly and Godric's temper flared at the blatant disregard for a child's wellbeing. "He will have to compete. That is how artifacts like this work." Dumbledore nodded along with Moody's words.
"Except not," Godric bit out and all of the 'adults' stared blankly at him. He stepped in front of Harry, shielding the boy as best he could from their stares. Godric glared at the adults in front of him one by one. "A contract is only valid when the person understands that he is entering a binding agreement and does so knowingly and willingly, the intent is in the signature. There are protections in place so events, such as this, do not occur. You should know this as you're an auror." He paused on Moody. "Unless you want Harry to participate in a competition that has been known to kill competitors in the past?"
"The goblet is different, girl," Moody stepped forward and matched Godric's glare with his own and Godric fought his temper.
"Do. Not. Call me girl. You are a professor at this school, are you not? If you must drop proprietary, then call me Ric. If the Goblet is different from normal contracts, then I'll get a solicitor." He looked sheepishly over at Harry. "Well, your family will get a solicitor, and they'll sort it out."
"The Dursleys will -"
Godric looked over at Dumbledore. "The Dursley's? What do they have to do with this?"
Harry stepped forward and stood just behind his shoulder and Godric tried to ignore the fact that he was shorter than the boy. But at least Harry trusted him to speak on his behalf. Godric felt a small tug on the back of his robes.
"They are his family."
"Ah, well, yes they are. As am I, but not bound by blood." Godric shrugged and trampled over the professors attempting to say something or another. "However, the... Dursley's aren't the family I'm talking about." Godric waved his hand. "The Davis' are." When he was met with blank looks, Godric canted his head. "You know, Harry's adopted family and who he's been living with for over a year now?"
"How do you not know this?" Madam Maxime asked and Godric had to agree with her. "Were you not notified?" Her eyes turned to Godric and Harry, and though the look was questioning and not accusing, the boy curled in on himself.
"If the Headmaster hadn't been told, then it was at the Ministry's discretion and if that's the case then it is not the fault of Harry," Godric said, adding that last bit for Harry's benefit more so than anyone else's. "Michael Jones is the Child Support Agent in charge of Harry's case - both muggle and magical - and it has been approved by the Ministry. For further information, please contact the CSA. Harry will be getting in contact with his family so a solicitor can sort through this mess as it should not have happened."
"Yes, well, if that's settled, what about the mess you find yourself in, girl?" Moody stressed the word.
"Well, boy," Godric snarled right back, ignoring the gasp from McGonagall and the loss of points and detention from Snape for lack of respect, and continued on, staring Moody down. He would have taken a step forward if he didn't feel the tug of Harry holding onto the back of his robe. Ah, smart lad, he'd have to tell Salazar. "I see no mess. I crossed the Age Line, through no other means than stepping across. I willingly and knowingly created a contract with the Goblet of Fire that cannot be taken back. My contract is unbreakable. It is not my fault that the Headmaster's Age Line did not work in the way he believed it should. And as the Goblet of Fire deemed to pick my entry over all others, then there is no question: I am the Hogwarts Champion."
His words echoed around the room as everyone seemed to forget how to breathe except for Godric and he fought back a grin when he heard a choked back laugh from Harry. The sound, though, cut through everyone else's shock.
"Is this how you run your school, Dumbledore?"
"You let your students get out of hand?"
A bit of laughter had Godric turning his head, keeping Moody in his sights, and saw Krum covering his mouth with his hand in an attempt to smother his laughter. Delacour seemed torn about something.
Crouch kept quiet, as did Bagman and Weasley.
"Miss Dunbar has always been... a special case as we have been trying for years to curb her more... eccentric tendencies," McGonagall tried to answer diplomatically.
Well, Godric wasn't going to let her get away with it. He was done hiding a part of who he was. He snorted. "Right, because I won't wear a skirt." With a flourish, he opened his robes to show off his button down dress shirt, his scarlet and gold tie, his polished shoes, and his pressed black trousers. "Well, pardon me for being a male stuck in a girl's body, there's not much I can do about that."
Silence met his statement again, wide eyes staring back at him and he gave a firm nod when Moody looked at him stupefied.
"What?"
Harry's voice had him turning and grinning at Harry. "I'm a guy, but unfortunately I was born in this life with a girl's body and there's not much I can do about it. Human transfiguration never ends well if you try to make it permanent. I've checked," he mourned. He looked down at himself and shrugged. "At least I have a small chest." He looked back at the still frozen adults and continued, "So yes, I assume that makes me a special case." When they still said nothing he looked at Krum and Delacour. "My physical age is fourteen, however, I am the Hogwarts Champion and I will not let you take home the prize at the end of this."
"Miss Dunbar," McGonagall's faint voice finally piped up. He glanced over his shoulder to stare at the Transfiguration Professor. "That was not quite what I meant."
"Ah. Perhaps you were insinuating my more brash actions?"
"Yes. Those."
"Well," he shrugged, "I'm Gryffindor, what did you expect? I don't do subtlety."
"She really doesn't," Harry muttered, laughter tangling thickly with his words.
"That coming from you." Godric looked over his shoulder, keeping Moody in his peripherals. "When are you subtle?"
"I'm learning!"
Godric sighed, "Sal's corrupting you," but he smiled fondly when he said it.
A cough had their attention going over to Crouch who looked quite annoyed at the debacle going around him. "Yes, well, while Hogwarts gets their students under control, for the moment we will move forward with all of you being chosen to compete until Mr. Potter's solicitors can say otherwise. The Cup is dormant and no new champion can be chosen. Now, for information on the first task."
Delacour and Krum straightened and turned their attention towards the man.
"The first task is on November 24 and we will have a wand weighing tomorrow evening. All of you are forbidden from receiving any help from anyone else. Information for the second task will be given after the first and you will all be exempt from your end of year exams. Now, goodnight, and Dumbledore, sort this out."
And he was gone.
"You may all leave, except for you, Miss Dunbar."
Godric shrugged and glanced over at Harry as the others made their way out except for McGonagall, Snape, Moody, and Dumbledore. "Go find Sal and Helga and let them know. Sal will get in contact with your family and Helga will let her father know what's going on. Get that solicitor now. Hopefully we'll get you out before the first task." He lowered his voice and stepped closer to Harry so the others wouldn't hear, "If we somehow fail, Harry, I'll make sure nothing happens to you, ok?"
Harry nodded and hurried out of the room.
Godric turned to the others. "Yes, Professors? Headmaster?"
"Now you're being polite?"
"I stopped being polite the moment you did."
"Enough," Dumbledore said with a sigh. "Miss Dunbar, your actions here were uncalled for and unbefitting a champion."
"Actually, Headmaster, I believe my actions were quite justified."
"How so, Miss Dunbar?" McGonagall asked.
"Harry. You were so concerned about me purposefully putting my name in that you overlooked the boy who didn't put his name in the cup. He was terrified. And someone other than him wanted him to compete in a tournament that others have died in." Maybe if he said it again the words would actually register in their brains. "You, all of you, just ignored him. Excuse me if I was a tad rude or a bit angry at you for forgetting about the innocent child."
"You are a child as well," Snape finally spoke up.
"Not according to the Age Line I'm not."
"Yes, about that, how did you trick it?" Moody's magic eye twirled and swirled around.
"I didn't. I wrote my name on a piece of parchment, crossed the line, and when nothing happened placed said parchment into the fire. I cast no charms or spells on myself or the goblet. I did not imbibe any potions. I simply did what others did and the Goblet chose me."
"And you chose to do this with no other person present?" Snape asked.
"Yes. I wanted some peace and quiet around me when I decided whether or not to put my name in. Now, who am I going to for my detention this time?"
"Me."
"I think not," McGonagall interrupted Moody. "With me, Miss Dunbar, where we will be having a more in depth conversation on all the other topics you brought up this evening."
Godric sighed. "Of course, Professor. May I?"
"Yes, please go to your Common Room."
"Good evening, Professors, Headmaster." Godric left, closing the door behind him and he rolled his eyes. "Imbeciles, the lot of them," he murmured under his breath.
"Err," the voice of Harry came from his right and the air shimmered until Harry appeared. He stuffed the thin, silky cloak of invisibility into his pocket.
"Do you always carry that with you?"
"I try to."
"Good."
The boy smiled widely at the compliment before dimming as he asked, "How am I supposed to find Tracey or Megan? They probably went to their Common Rooms. Should I wait until tomorrow morning or write Heath and Serena tonight and send Hedwig?"
"Right, forgot about that. Come along. Sal, Ro, and Helga are probably waiting for us. You to make sure you're alright and to yell at me for entering the competition."
They walked in silence to classroom eleven.
It wasn't until they were nearly there that Harry asked, "How did you enter your name?"
Godric laughed. "Like I said Harry: I walked across the line and put my name in. It was as simple as that."
- - - - Bonus Scene - Salazar - - - -
Three of the four friends had gathered together in the now familiar unused classroom eleven situated just off of the Entrance Hall located on the ground floor. There was nothing special about the room itself other than it was clean - when all other unused classrooms were dusty, unkempt, and abandoned - and was conveniently located near the Great Hall.
Helga and Rowena were sitting together speaking softly... about what Salazar hadn't a clue. He wasn't listening to their conversation and if they wanted his attention or input they'd have had a difficult time getting a coherent thought out of him that wasn't centered around the recently named champions and the tournament.
Salazar stood near the door, biting his thumb nail waiting. He wanted to know what was happening. He needed to see him, to assure himself that he was okay. The fact that he was named a Hogwarts Champion was wrong - so very wrong - and Salazar wanted to scream with his growing concern.
It seemed to take forever for the door to finally open. Salazar sighed in relief when he walked in. For once, Salazar didn't wait until the door was sealed before asking, "Are you okay?"
"Of course he is."
"I'd like to hear it from him," Salazar reprimanded.
Harry winced and said, "I'm fine."
Salazar sighed. "You always say that. But are you truly?"
"Yes," Harry said in an offended tone. Salazar nodded, but didn't apologize for initially doubting him. Harry huffed. "I didn't put my name in the cup."
The boy sounded defensive which caused Salazar to frown. "We never thought you did."
"You... you all believe me?" Harry looked surprised when all four of the friends nodded.
"Harry," Rowena spoke to gain the boy's attention. Harry looked at her and both Helga and Rowena smiled at him. Rowena stepped closer to say, "You looked too surprised when your name was called. Had you put your name in, it wouldn't have shocked you to hear the Headmaster call out your name."
The teen smiled at the others and sagged in relief. "Thanks. I don't think anyone else is going to believe me."
"Hermione will," Helga reminded him. "She is a true friend. She will believe you when you tell her the truth."
"That's true," Harry agreed with a small smile.
"Neville and Luna will believe you," Rowena added. "I'm sure others will too. Just remember you cannot please everyone nor will everyone believe you. Hold on to those who are your true friends. They will always be at your side."
"Besides, you're a horrible liar," Godric reminded him.
"Right." Harry snorted in amusement, then he looked back at Salazar to tell him, "Ric said I can get out of the tournament since I didn't put my name in the cup. All I need to do is hire a solicitor."
Salazar agreed. "Sound advice. I'll be sure to notify our parents. They'll have one here as soon as they can. I will be sure to stress the need for expediency."
Helga stood and pulled Harry into a hug which the teen returned after a moment's hesitation. "I will contact my father and let him know what is happening as well. With his connections, I'm rather certain he will be able to assist."
"Thank you." Harry was more relaxed than when he first entered. He told them, "You can borrow Hedwig if you like."
"Kind of you to offer, but not necessary," Helga said as she took a step back. Salazar was already mentally dictating what his letter would say and how he intended to get it to the house within moments. Culley would be more than happy to deliver a letter on his behalf, especially when he tells her why it is so urgent.
Harry gestured to Godric. "Ric thinks you're going to yell at her for entering the contest."
"Whatever for?" Salazar snapped out of his thoughts and asked in surprise. He gestured to his best friend and said, in all seriousness, "Standing before you is the Hogwarts' Champion. There was never any doubt in my mind."
Rowena smiled at Godric and hugged him tightly. "I'm rather proud of your decision to lay claim to your title. And think of all the fun you'll have playing with the others."