Chapter 3
The next morning, Harry saw most people in the Great Hall didn't look at him suspiciously. On the contrary, their glances at him were much softer. Hufflepuffs returned to the friendly attitude. Slytherins remained unchanged, as expected, and he didn't care about it. The raven-haired boy ate breakfast with a lightened heart.
After the last class, Harry asked Neville if they could talk, and the two boys went to the empty classroom on the first floor. The round-faced boy seemed curious about the reason for the meeting. Once they sat down in chairs near an old desk, the raven-haired boy pulled out the parchment for the memo.
"Neville, can you do me a favour? I need your help." Harry looked at his dormmate seriously. Neville was not his closest friend, but they were always on good terms.
The round-faced boy seemed startled for a moment, but he nodded. "Sure, what can I do for you?"
"You know, I vowed to catch the culprit who made me a fourth Champion to kill me. The problem is, I don't know what I should do or who could help me. I now realise that this incident is too serious to be solved by Hogwarts teachers, like Sirius Black case. But I don't know how to ask the Ministry of Magic to help me." The raven-haired boy explained.
Neville looked serious and fell into thought for a moment. Then he spoke, "Yes, I think you are right. The Ministry of Magic has many departments, such as the Department of Mysteries. They might help you catch the culprit. Of course, the Department of Magical Law Enforcement handles capturing criminals."
Harry asked, "Okay, then what should I do to contact the Department of Magical Law Enforcement? I don't think Moody can send an owl for me. Are there solicitors in the Magical Britain? Like Muggle world?"
The blond boy nodded and said, "Of course, there are solicitors in our world. Gran sometimes asks them for legal services."
The unvolunteered champion's face lit up. "Wow, that's good news. Can you ask your Gran to recommend me a solicitor? I don't know if my parents had one for legal advice."
"In the case of your family... I think you might be able to ask the Gringotts family account manager to check the documents in your family vault," Neville suggested.
"Documents in my family vault? I haven't seen any document in my vault. All I saw was coins." Harry said, tilting his head in curiosity.
"Then, you must have seen your Trust Vault. I heard that some wealthy families set up Trust Vaults for their kids while most property is stored in the family vaults.," the Pure-blooded boy explained. Harry's eyes widened with the new information. Hagrid never said that he might have a family vault. Unsure of what to ask next, he noticed the look of realisation on the dormmate's face.
"I think you don't need a solicitor now," Neville said confidently. "You can contact the Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement directly,"
"How?" Harry asked, his curiosity piqued.
"You know Susan Bones, Hufflepuff, our year," Neville continued after Harry nodded. "She is the niece of Madame Bones, the Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."
The raven-haired boy's eyes widened in surprise, and his jaw dropped.
"Do you think... can I ask Susan Bones to send my letter to her aunt?" He asked, trying hard not to stutter. Despite sharing Herberlogy classes with her for over three years, he had never spoken to that Hufflepuff girl.
"Gran and Madame Bones have been on good terms for a long time. Susan and I have known each other since before we entered Hogwarts. I can tell her you want to talk, if you don't mind." Neville offered, noticing Harry's discomfort.
"Thank you so much! You are the best!" Harry said, his face breaking into a grateful smile.
Both boys smiled and began discussing when and where to speak to Susan Bones. After a brief discussion, they left the classroom and headed to the common room.
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That evening, Harry and Izzy wrote the letter to Madame Bones. It wasn't easy to summarise Harry's situation as the fourth Champion against his will without sounding like they were concocting a conspiracy theory. They suspected Voldemort might be behind this incident, but there was no evidence, aside from Harry's dream. So, all they could write was the Goblet of Fire's irregular behavior and Moody's suspicion about the culprit's intention to kill the Boy Who Lived during the tournament. The letter concluded with a request for assistance in revealing and apprehending the criminal. They also emphasised that this crime wasn't just a school issue but an international matter, and it needed to be solved as soon as possible.
Harry complained that Hagrid hadn't mentioned the family vault when they first met three years ago. Izzy was intrigued and asked about their initial meeting. The British boy told her about Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon's decision not to send him to Hogwarts, their attempts to intercept his Hogwarts letters, Hagrid's invasion of the hut, their trip to Diagon Alley, and the shopping that followed.
"I think Hagrid might not have known about your family vault," the French cousin said thoughtfully. "He's just the groundkeeper, not your relative or guardian. But I think you should contact the Gringotts later to find out who your family account manager is."
"Yeah, I'll send my request to Gringotts soon," the raven-haired boy agreed. "I have a strong feeling that I'll need legal advice, not just for this stupid tournament but for other issues in the future."
"That's good. You need more adults to help you practically," The red-blond girl said with satisfaction.
"And I want to know more about my family and the magical Britain," Harry said, his voice firm. "You are right, Izzy. I should have learned the world I belonged to by now. I can't keep saying 'I had no idea' every time something happens, no matter my intentions."
Izzy firmly grabbed both of Harry's shoulders, looking him in the eye.
"You were born again on Hallowe'en night, Harry. I can see that you will grow through this, and no matter what happens, you'll keep your honor and dignity intact."
The boy and girl shared comfortable laughs.
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Everything about sending the letter to Madame Bones went smoothly. Neville succeeded in asking Susan Bones to meet Harry in private during Double Herbology class with Hufflepuff. She agreed after a bit of hesitation.
So, Harry was able to meet Susan Bones in the corridor near the entrance to Hufflepuff's common room after supper. Fortunately, Susan Bones believed in Harry's innocence. As a condition for sending her aunt the letter about the current situation and asking for the investigation of the culprit, she asked Harry to buy Butterbeer on the next Hogsmeade visit. Harry gladly accepted her request and handed over the letter.
Neville and Hermione expressed relief when the unwanted Champion delightedly said his success later in the common room.
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While waiting for the answer from Madame Bones, Harry wrote another letter to Gringotts and read various books about the culture of Wizarding Britain.
Surprisingly, Neville helped him to search for related books, ranging from introductory texts to more advanced ones covering the customs of the old and traditional wizarding society(a.k.a. Pure-Blood society), the Ministry of Magic, Wizengamot, and the International Confederation of Wizards. The round-face boy was happy to advise his Muggle-raised dormmate on everything he knew about the Magical world. He even suggested ordering books via owl about the genealogy of historical magical families, including Pure Bloods. So, Harry ordered Neville's recommendation to search his own family, the Potters. Hedwig happily took the order sheet and flew to the Flourish and Blotts.
Of course, Harry studied the records of the previous Triwizard Tournaments with Hermione and Izzy in the unused classroom on the first floor every afternoon. They checked which spells and magical creatures had been used in the First Tasks. Hermionie and Izzy made a list of spells and helped Harry practice them. They were advanced magic, and Harry was completely exhausted at the end of each practice. The good thing was that his Quidditch training had given him excellent reflexes. Izzy spoke in the highest terms of his talents and patience.
Susan Bones also kept Harry informed whenever she got letters from her aunt, Madame Bones.
Two days after sending Harry's mail, Madame Bones sent her first response, asking for a detailed explanation of the Hallowe'en night and the selection of Triwizard Champions. Susan informed her auntie of all her observations about the Goblet of Fire's choosing Harry Potter as the fourth Champion and the Wizard's Oath of the next evening.
Later, Madame Bones sent her another letter agreeing with Harry Potter's argument. She acknowledged it was a serious incident that required a thorough investigation by the Ministry of Magic. Harry was delighted to hear that the director of DMLE also considered it a matter of great importance.
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Around the end of lunchtime a week after Susan sent Harry's letter, Amelia Bones, accompanied by two Aurors, came to Hogwarts. Everyone in the Great Hall was astonished by the appearance of the Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and her Aurors. Dumbledore also seemed bewildered and curious about Madame Bones's sudden visit without prior notice, but he stood up and welcomed the visitor.
"Dear Amelia, what an unexpected pleasure. What could this old man do for you?" Dumbledore's smile didn't reach his eyes despite his joyful tone.
"Good afternoon, Professor Dumbledore," The stern-looking Madame Bones said curtly, "I came to investigate the incident on Hallowe'en night."
The smile on Dumbledore's face vanished immediately. "I see. This is not a subject for public discussion. Let's move to my office."
A few minutes later, the DMLE staff, McGonagall, Moody, and Harry were sitting in front of Dumbledore's desk in the Headmaster's office. Madame Bones requested Dumbledore Harry's attendance as he was directly involved in the incident. McGonagall sternly looked at Harry, who had pink cheeks and twinkling eyes with hope.
"Amelia, could you kindly explain why you came here with your Aurors for the school-related incident, if you don't mind?" Dumbledore asked lightly, though Harry thought the headmaster wanted to avoid the scrutiny from the Ministry of Magic.
Madame Bones seemed to share Harry's impression. Her face remained stern as she looked at Mad-eye Moody. "Tell me, Alastor. Do you also think confusing the Goblet of Fire, the highly powerful magical artifact, and making the Boy Who Lived, who is only fourteen years old, a fourth Champion is just a school incident?"
Moody cleared his throat and said, "Definitely not. The culprit couldn't be a student unless they were less powerful and brilliant than Dumbledore at that age. Whoever has done this likely has bad intentions,, too."
The DMLE staff nodded at their ex-colleague's remark, while, the Headmaster and his deputy exchanged perplexed glances with the ex-Auror. Only the fourth-year student smiled briefly and then straightened his face.
Madame Bones turned to Dumbledore again. "How much have you investigated? Is there any suspect? As far as I know, there are several people with dubious pasts in this castle now,"
Dumbledore replied with dignity, "Everyone in my school has my full confidence."
"Unfortunately, some of them do not have my confidence," The director of the DMLE snapped back. "By the way, how about the guests? Have you investigated them?"
"I wanted to interrogate the staff of Durmstrang and Beauxbatons, but Dumbledore didn't allow me to do so without evidence," Moody grumbled.
"Of course, we can't do that, Professor Moody. There was no violations recorded at their accommodation." McGonagall said with a hint of tiredness. Harry thought Moody and McGonagall must have debated this more than once.
"In addition, how can you be sure that the criminal could not sneak into the Hogwarts while Hogwarts is hosting numerous guests from foreign countries? Sirius Black already did so twice without a trace last year." Madame Bones questioned, her tone leaving no room for nonsense.
The so-called greatest wizard of this century couldn't offer a valid rebuttal, nor could the Deputy Headmistress. Harry desperately wanted to defend his godfather, however, it was neither the time nor the place. All he could do was clench his fists firmly and look at the floor to hide his face. Moody, however, seem indifferent to care about his current colleagues' tention, nodding slightly.
In contrast, Madame Bones glared at Dumbledore and McGonagall, delivering the final blow. "I, the director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, consider this is a criminal matter that poses a high risk not only to the fourth Champion but also to other students and staff of the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. This situation could escalate into an international dispute, rather than serve the original purpose of reviving the Triwizard Tournament. Therefore, the Department of Magical Law Enforcement will take charge of the investigation and capture of the criminal as soon as possible."
"Amelia, I am the headmaster of this school, and everything that happens on the grounds of Hogwarts is my responsibility," Dumbledore replied immediately. McGonagall looked at her boss seriously, as did the two Aurors and Moody. Harry sensed the strain between the old wizard and the director of the DMLE.
"Unfortunately, I don't agree with your assessment, Professor Dumbledore. I've heard that my niece, Susan, has faced severe dangers at Hogwarts every year since her entrance: a troll invasion in the first year, the Chamber of Secrets and the Heir of Slytherins turning students to stones in the second year, and the Dementors and Sirius Black breaking into the school grounds in the third year. Hogwarts students have been in danger repeatedly, yet you have never reported any of these incidents, except for those involving Sirius Black, and you haven't explained clearly. All you've done is say 'it's Hogwarts business,'" Madame Bones said, her tone filled with anger.
"Those incidents , combined with this year's events, have surpassed the level that could be left to the school's discretion. As I mentioned before, successfully concluding the Triwizard Tournament requires apprehending the culprit who placed Harry Potter's name in the Goblet of Fire. My department will do everything, including the assistance from the Department of Mysteries."
All the people in the Headmaster's office realised that this was the DMLE's ultimatum, one even Dumbledore couldn't refuse. All he could say was, "I see. What do you need from me?"
Then, Madame Bones requested the collection of the Goblet of Fire and the extraction of memories from Harry. The Headmaster and his deputy flinched for a moment, but, they soon conjured the wooden cup in a box and handed it to one of the Aurors. The other Auror, who had dark skin, approached Harry.
"Mister Potter, I will pull your memory of the Hallowe'en night," the Auror said kindly. Harry was unsure what to say, so he just nodded his head. The dark-skinned Auror seemed to understand the boy's nervousness. "All you need to do is concentrate on the memories you want to show us from Hallowe'en night," he added.
Harry said, "Yes, sir," and closed his eyes, focusing on the moment he became the fourth Champion and the discussion that followed with the other Champions and the teachers from the three schools. He felt the tip of the Auror's wand touch his temple and something was pulled from the temple. Suddenly, an idea popped into his head, and he opened his eyes to see the Auror place a strand of silver thread into a vial.
"Sir, I think I have another related memory. Do you think you can extract that as well?" Harry asked cautiously. He knew it might be risky, but he trusted his intuition. The dark-skinned Auror nodded and pulled another silver thread from Harry's temple.
Amelia Bones and the two Aurors left the Headmaster's office via the fireplace. Moody offered to accompany them, however, it was declined.
Dumbledore appeared devastated to lose his autonomy at Hogwarts. McGonagall put her hand on his shoulder without a word. Moody's magical eye moved continuously, but the ex-Auror remained silent.
Harry felt very awkward and uncertain about whether he could leave the office. He just stole a glance or two at the teachers while waiting for their signal to exit.
Finally, Dumbledore instructed Harry to attend his afternoon classes. So he left as fast as possible, his head racing with various scenarios. As he had anticipated, the Department of Magical Law Enforcement began investigating this incident. Harry fervently wished that they would soon find the culprit.
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A/N: I saw a mention that my story seems to be the modification of another story. I previously uploaded the draft and have recently started uploading the detailed version. I hope this clears up any misunderstanding.
I've always wondered how Dumbledore could keep brushing off a series of serious dangers. Of course, he was temporarily suspended after Malfoy's threats to the school committee during the Chamber of Secrets incidents. But my biggest issue was that Dumbledore seemed to be willing to sacrifice student safety only for his reasons.
The Triwizard Tournament is an international event, so I assumed that the Ministry would prioritize safety. I know Fudge didn't share that view. Still, it seems plausible that Amelia Bones could have intervened if she had received the request for an investigation from the victim of the plot-Harry Potter.
But I don't expect her to have noticed or uncovered the culprit right away. Please continue to follow the story.