On the day the new semester began at Hogwarts, Harry found himself in the Great Hall sitting at the Gryffindor table with Hermione and Ginny sitting to his right and Neville and Luna sitting to his left.
"Hello," said Luna in a soft dreamy voice, staring up at the ceiling, "I'm going to be sitting here today. Remember that under Hogwarts rules, sitting at one's own house table is only a requirement for the Welcoming Feast and the Leaving Feast. Students are allowed to sit wherever the hell they want at all other times."
"According to Hogwarts, A History," interjected Hermione, "The Welcoming Feast and the Leaving Feast are the only reasons the house tables were ever created to begin with. Unlike class schedules and living arrangements, which do need some degree of organization, there is no reason why students shouldn't be able to eat with family members or friends in other houses. "
"I welcome Luna's company here," piped Ginny, "She isn't wanted or welcomed by her housemates so I hope we can at least make her comfortable."
"Ginny is very nice, I do like her," cooed Luna, "She even defends me against people calling me Looney."
"It was my brother who gave Luna that disgusting nickname," said Ginny bitterly, "The same brother who betrayed and abandoned Harry after Harry's name came out of the Goblet of Fire."
"Don't worry, Gin," grinned Harry, "I'm never forgiving that asshole after he threw me away like wilted salad at the first sign of murky waters."
"Hermione is a far truer friend to you than Ronald ever was," declared Ginny fiercely.
"That's been proven. When I told Hermione that I hadn't put my own name in the Goblet of Fire, she immediately believed me without questioning me or prodding me and that's exactly what a true friend does," said Harry matter of factly.
"Harry is showing great backbone and maturity by understanding that disloyal fair weather friends don't deserve mulligans," said Neville proudly, "I've noticed that Ron has recently formed a trio with Seamus and Dean."
"Whatever," said Harry indifferently, "I don't give a damn who Ron's friends are going forward as long as he stays out of my life."
"The only way you will ever want to have anything to do with Ron now is if Wrackspurts infest and infect your brain," said Luna softly, "If you have a clear head, you'll know that Ron proved he didn't deserve your friendship by not standing by you 1000% after your name came out of the Goblet of Fire."
"I gave Ron three plus years' worth of friendship and what he gave me in return was a lack of trust in me and a lack of support for me," lamented Harry, "Oh, well, I've moved on from that toxic friendship."
At that precise nanosecond, Harry was approached by a girl he recognized a red headed Hufflepuff from his year that he recognized by sight but had never spoken to.
"Hello, Harry," said the girl calmly, "You've probably seen me in Herbology before even though we've never talked."
"I recognize you by sight, but I don't know your name," said Harry honestly.
"So," said the girl patiently, "My name is Susan Bones. I apologize for disrupting you before breakfast even began, but my Aunt Amelia is Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. She has asked me to inform you that she wishes for you to go to Classroom Eleven. Apparently, she wishes to speak with all of the Triwizard Champions. Cedric, Viktor, and Fleur are already there."
"Thank you for letting me know, Susan," said Harry sincerely, "Hermione, Ginny, Neville, and Luna, I'll see you later."
"I doubt this meeting will take very long," said Susan confidently, "I think Auntie just wants to ask a few questions."
Harry walked to Classroom Eleven to find Amelia Bones at the front of the room and Cedric, Viktor, and Fleur standing in a neat row facing her. Harry took his place beside Cedric.
"Hello, Triwizard Champions," said Ameila in a very formal voice, "I have been informed by a very pissed off Fudge and Crouch about how the four of you forced a change to the Second Task of the Triwizard Tournament. Ludo Bagman seemed more okay with the changes although he did seem rather indifferent to the things that were wrong in the first place."
"That sounds like their reactions aright," agreed Cedric.
"Yes," added Harry, "The only adult who seems to care about the well-being of the champions is Madam Maxime."
"I'm very proud to be her student," smiled Fleur, puffing out her chest.
"I'm very glad to hear of the changes the champions forced through," admitted Amelia, "The way the Second Task as originally planned was described to me, I thought that these stolen treasures were going to be material possessions. I was never given any indication that a hostage challenge was planned. A round of applause for the four of you for figuring that out and rejecting it for all the right reasons."
Amelia did give a clap here.
"Now," said Amelia clearly, "As I am Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, I would like to give the four of you this opportunity to voice any concerns you may have to me."
"Madam Bones," said Harry in a crystal clear voice, "I have no idea who put my name in the Goblet of Fire. While I am sure it was not Karkaroff, I strongly suspect that Karkaroff manipulated the Goblet of Fire to ensure the Viktor would be the Durmstrang Champion."
"That would not surprise me," admitted Viktor, "Karkaroff is always going on about how I'm going to win the Triwizard Tournament and bring glory back to Durmstrang. He's been blunt enough in admitting that he doesn't care about how anything goes down so long as I win the Triwizard Tournament and bring home that Triwizard Cup. He also sucks up to me. He tells me that he loves me. Bullshit. Karkaroff doesn't give a damn about me or my well-being at all. He doesn't love me; he loves how he can use me. He sees me as a tool and not as a person."
"This is the type of thing I wanted to know about," said Amelia with a smirk, "You four may go back to breakfast. I have some investigating to do. Actually, I'll walk the four of you back to the Great Hall."
When they entered the Great Hall, Harry, Cedric, Viktor, and Fleur resumed their seats while Amelia trotted up to the staff table.
"Karkaroff?" inquired Ameila, "I am the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. May I have a word?"
'Yes, Madam Bones," replied Karkaroff eagerly, hoping she was going to tell him how Harry Potter's name got into the Goblet of Fire.
"Follow me to Classroom Eleven then," requested Amelia and Karkaroff did.
"Karkaroff?" asked Amelia, "Would you be willing to take Veritaserum to confirm you were not the one to put Harry's name into the Goblet of Fire?"
"Yes," answered Karkaroff. He was disappointed that Madam Bones didn't seem to have any information for him on who had put Harry's name into the Goblet of Fire, but he was also relieved for a chance to clear his name from having done so.
Next nanosecond, Amelia retrieved a bottle of Veritaserum from her left hand pocket with her left hand and handed it to Karkaroff, who drank three sips without having to be told.
A minute and a nanosecond later, Amelia asked Karkaroff, "Did you put Harry Potter's name into the Goblet of Fire?"
"No," said Karkaroff bitterly, "And I am pissed off that someone did do that. Some asshole or bitch has given Hogwarts two bites at the apple."
"Did you tamper with the Goblet of Fire in any way?" grilled Amelia.
"No," replied Karkaroff simply.
"Did you place any role in Viktor being selected as the Durmstrang Champion?" Ameila grilled Karkaroff.
"Yes,' spilled Karkaroff, "I blackmailed every student from Durmstrang that is here to enter the name Viktor Krum into the Goblet of Fire. I threatened to put them all under the Cruciatus Curse if any of their names came out of the Goblet of Fire. I also promised to give them ten galleons each if Viktor became the Durmstrang Champion. I never paid up of course. It would look too suspicious if Viktor was the only Durmstrang student to put his name in the Goblet of Fire, so I blackmailed the others into all writing Viktor's name on their slips of paper."
"Did Viktor know you did this?" wondered Ameila.
"No," boasted Karkaroff, "I made it clear that if any of them told Viktor of the plan it would mean the Cruciatus Curse. I had Viktor on the ship by himself with some good wine to keep him occupied while I told my other students what my demands were."
...
On the morning of Monday, January 8th, 1995, Karkaroff was noticeably absent from the staff table as the students, staff, and guests at Hogwarts were enjoying a breakfast of blueberry waffles, sausage links, and Sunny Delight.
Unexpectedly, Amelia Bones, the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement entered the Great Hall carrying an enormous orange megaphone and walked up to the staff table with a very businesslike expression on her face.
Speaking clearly into the megaphone, Madam Bones said clearly, "You all may have noticed the absence of Karkaroff from the staff table this morning. Well, that's because last Monday, I interviewed Karkaroff under the Truth Potion Veritaserum. Under the influence of Veritaserum, Karkaroff admitted to tampering with the Champions selection process for the Triwizard Tournament. "
Many eyes in the Great Hall most turned upon Harry as many people in the Great Hall were now expecting Madam Bones to announce that Karkaroff had confessed to putting Harry's name in the Goblet of Fire.
The Durmstrang students who knew what Karkaroff had actually done had a mixture of looks of their various faces ranging from smugness to hopefulness to relief.
"Now," continued Madam Bones, "We are still none the wiser about who put Harry Potter's name in the Goblet of Fire, but it wasn't Karkaroff. However, Karkaroff confessed under the influence of Veritaserum that he blackmailed every Durmstrang student into entering the name Viktor Krum into the Goblet of Fire. He threatened to place the Cruciatus Curse upon any Durmstrang student other than Viktor Krum if his or her name came out of the Goblet of Fire. He also promised to give every student in the Durmstrang delegation ten galleons if the name Viktor Krum emerged from the Goblet of Fire. He admitted to never paying up."
"Karma's a bitch," interjected Hermione and a number of Durmstrang students nodded their heads at this.
Viktor, meanwhile, had a tent of uncomfortableness emitting from his face.
"So," explained Madam Bones, "In most cases the decision to remove a headmaster or headmistress from a school of magic rests with that school's board of governors. In some countries the national wizarding government may also get a say. However, there are certain circumstances in which a headmaster or headmistress can be voted out of a magical school's headship by the International Confederation of Wizards. In a case where a headmaster of headmistress has been found guilty of or admitted to blackmailing his or her pupils, the International Confederation of Wizards reserves the power to vote him or her out. In cases where a headmaster or headmistress has been found guilty of or admitted to making threats of violence against hir or her pupils, the International Confederation of Wizards reserves the power to vote him or her out."
"And" piped up Harry, "Karkaroff confessed to both under Veritaserum."
"Exactly," said Madam Bones in a steely voice, "The International Confederation of Wizards voted unanimously this morning to remove Igor Karkaroff from the post of headmaster of Durmstrang Institute."
There was a sudden explosion of noise in the Great Hall as every Durmstrang student stood up and clapped his or her hands together as hard as he or she could while they all gave off yells of celebration. Not an elated celebration but a justice has been served celebration.
"The Durmstrang Board of Governors will vote this summer on a new headmaster or headmistress for Durmstrang Institute ahead of the 1995-1996 academic year. Karkaroff has been terminated with cause and will not be paid for the time that was left on his ccontract'" explained Madam Bones.
"Serves him right," said Cedric firmly, "I just wish those poor Durmstrang students could at least get the ten galleons that Karkaroff promised them."
"Oh, they will," promised Madam Bones, giving off an unusual smirk for someone who was normally very businesslike, "After what he told me on the day the new semester began, the International Confederation of Wizards questioned him under Veritaserum about his time as the headmaster of Durmstrang. Under the influence of Veritaserum, he told the confederation point blank that he had Durmstrang students LITERALLY practicing the Cruciatus Curse on each other amongst other teachings of the Dark Arts. In addition to his immediate dismissal, Igor Karkaroff has been declared ineligible for the rest of his life by the International Confederation of Wizards to ever work at a school again or work with minors again."
"Justice," snarled Fleur in a hard voice.
"Indeed," said Madam Bones coldly, "Igor Karkaroff has been fined five hundred galleons. The money owed by Karkaroff has been taken out of his bank account in Bulgaria. This money shall be used to pay each Durmstrang student currently at Hogwarts twenty five galleons. Ten galleons each that he owed them for his promise. Five galleons each for being denied their rightfully opportunities to submit themselves for the Triwizard Tournament, and ten galleons each for emotional damages."
"Karkaroff got that one thrown back at him like a boomerang," said Viktor in a satisfied voice, "I never knew of this plot. I'm guessing the other Durmstrang students were threatened with violence if they dared to tell me?"
"They were threatened with the Cruciatus Curse," confirmed Madam Bones.
"I say," said Ginny smugly, "That all the Durmstrang students rise as once and chant "justice."
At Ginny's suggestion, all the Durmstrang students did rise as once and chanted "Justice," twenty five times in honor of the number of galleons of Karkaroff's money they would each be receiving.
"What happens going forward the rest of this semester though?" wondered Krum suddenly.
"There will be no acting Durmstrang head the rest of your time here," explained Madam Bones, "It is impractical to hire a new headmaster or headmistress for a school and have the start of his or her tenure not be at that school. If any Durmstrang student here feels the need for an adult, he or she may approach Madam Maxime, who has agreed to tend to the needs and concerns of the Durmstrang students here when necessary for the rest of the school year."
"Madam Maxime has already proven herself decent to me," said Viktor warmly.
"I'm very proud to be her pupil," added Fleur.
"Let's be honest," said Harry bluntly, "Karkaroff is a piece of hot garbage and the Durmstrang students currently present in this Great Hall should all be feeling a savage pleasure at karma biting Karkaroff in the ass and Karkaroff getting what he has coming to him."
"We do!" chorused all the Durmstrang students together in satisfied voices.
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