The Veela's Champion
Chapter 2
"The time has now come for the official start to the Triwizard Tournament, as the Goblet will be making its decision shortly." Dumbledore said from his place at the head table. "I would ask that our selected champions make their way behind the staff table and through the door into the antechamber."
All of the students from each school had gathered in the Great Hall for the selection ceremony, which would mark the beginning of the Triwizard Tournament. Harry sat at the Gryffindor table as everyone watched eagerly while sitting at the edge of their seats. Excited mutters of conversation and the swapping on galleons was taking place all around him, with everyone having their own opinion of who would be selected Champion. Of course, a betting pool had started on who would be selected Champion for Hogwarts, with Angelina having the highest chances so far.
They all sat and watched as the Goblet sparked and flashed vibrantly, every student leaning in eagerly to see who would be selected. The Gryffindor students around him were nearly vibrating with anticipation, as clearly all of them were hoping to be selected, uncaring if they met the age requirement or not. Finally, the Goblet spat out a piece of paper that sailed through the air and into Dumbledore's waiting hand.
The aging Headmaster unfolded the paper slowly, either uncaring or unaware of the building anticipation. "The Champion for Drumstrang… is Victory Krum!"
Cheers rang out throughout the Great Hall, as even the Gryffindor table cheered for the Drumstrang champion. Harry clapped along as well, watching as the various Drumstrang students congratulated Krum as he made his way forwards.
The Quidditch star made his way behind the staff table and out of the room as instructed, right as the next Champion's selection began. The Goblet's flames roared once more, and a blue parchment flew out before landing in Dumbledore's waiting hand once again.
"The Beauxbatons champion," Dumbledore began. "will be Fleur Delacour!"
Even if she wasn't as well-known as Victor Krum, the Great Hall was nearly as loud in its applause. The sight of such a beautiful girl made the boys cheer that much louder, while the French girls at the Beauxbatons table broke into tears over her selection.
Fleur stood up without paying attention to any of it, throwing her hair back and elegantly making her way forwards. She shook hands with Dumbledore and her own Headmistress, then made her way behind the staff table. But before she entered the exited the Great Hall, she sent one last look back across the room, making eye contact with Harry for just a moment.
"Did you see that!" Ron exclaimed from his side. "She looked at me!"
Harry opened his mouth to interject, only for Seamus cut in first. "No, she looked at me!"
"She was obviously looking at me!" Another boy said from further down the table.
"Idiots." Hermione grumbled from his side.
"Just think if we get selected Champion, we'll be able to talk to her!" Ron said excitedly.
"You've had the chance to talk to her already." Hermione said, sounding irritated. "And Harry talks to her already, and he's not going to be selected."
"But if we're selected Champion, then she'll know who we are." Ron explained. "The only reason she talks to Harry anyways is because he's famous."
Harry had to push down his irritation at hearing Ron's words, not liking the unsubtle jabs his friend kept sending his way. Hermione didn't look too happy about it either, her eye twitching in annoyance. The Goblet ended their talk however, flashing for the third and final time as a piece of parchment landed in Dumbledore's palm.
"The Hogwarts Champion, will be Cedric Diggory!"
The entire Great Hall seemed to leap to its feet with a roaring cheer, the Hufflepuff table loudest of all. It seemed rare for the Hufflepuffs to win anything of significance, and Harry couldn't help but feel happy for them as he clapped. Cedric cheerfully made his way forwards and behind the staff table and then out of the room like the others.
"Now then," Dumbledore began once the cheering subsided. "We have our champions, and this will conclude the selection ceremony. A few more announcements-"
The Headmaster suddenly stopped speaking as the Goblet became active once again, turning a violent red before it vomited out another parchment. Dumbledore looked bewildered as he grasped it out of the air, and the whole room seemed to take a deep breath as it waited for answers.
Dumbledore's gaze rose, moving across the room before making contact with his own, and Harry felt dread pool in his stomach. "…Harry Potter. "
Harry gaped, his eyes widening as he looked at the headmaster with complete shock. In that moment the whole room seemed to go still, and Harry felt something inside him freeze. It was like he was petrified, unable to do nothing but stare in horror at the parchment held in the Headmaster's grip.
"~arry, Harry, go!" Hermione whispered from his side, getting his attention as she nudged him forward.
He stood, uncaring for all the silent judgemental eyes on him in that moment, finally gathering some semblance of control as he took the first few steps towards the Goblet. He could hear the reactions of the students, the sound reminiscent of a bunch of angry buzzing bees. Off to his side, his roommates all glared heatedly at him, with Seamus and Ron giving him particularly disgusted looks.
He made his way past Dumbledore, the Headmaster staring at him warily, as he awkwardly walked behind the staff table and entered the antechamber. After that came a stairwell that brought him to a room with the other champions.
"Hey Harry! Do they want us back in the great hall?" Greeted Cedric after he entered, but he was completely ignored as Harry became deathly still.
On the outside he was emotionless, unmoving, almost like a porcelain statue. Inside, his mind was in turmoil, a thousand different emotions from anger to confusion and everything in between as he tried to figure out what was going on. He could see the other Champions looking at him oddly, especially Delacour who looked at him with a confused frown.
"Oh my, what a sight!" Exclaimed a boisterous voice from behind him, and he turned to see Ludo Bagman. "A Fourth Champion has been chosen!"
The other champions paused, each looking at the man oddly as Harry continued to awkwardly stand there. It was Fleur who spoke finally, looking at him with a expectant frown as if what the man had said was impossible. "Haha, funny joke Meester Bagman."
The door slammed open in that moment, as multiple people entered the chamber, led by Dumbledore. The Headmaster looked into his eyes as the others maneuvered around the room, glaring at him.
"Harry, did you put your name in the Goblet of Fire?" Asked Dumbledore calmly.
"I did not." He managed to get out, keeping his gaze locked with Dumbledore as if they were having a staring competition. His job only became harder when Snape scoffed and made an ugly comment about his father.
Dumbledore didn't say anything, but it became clear what the aging Headmaster thought after some time. He sighed dissapointingly and looked away, as if Harry had dumped the weight of the world on his shoulders. All it did was increase Harry's own vexation with the situation, bringing forth the feeling of not being in control.
"Clearly ze boy is lying!" Madame Maxime interjected, pointing an accusatory finger at him.
"Surely he could not have gotten past Dumbledore's age line!" Argued McGonagall back, and Harry felt glad that at least someone was defending him.
"Hogwarts cheated!" Yelled Karkaroff madly. "Re-ignite the Goblet, and we'll select new champions!"
"We can't Igor, the champions are already chosen." Said Dumbledore before turning to Crouch. "Harry does not meet the age requirement, surely he doesn't have to compete in the tournament?"
"He has to." Replied Crouch, "To refuse would mean he would lose his magic, being selected by the Goblet enters the Champion in a magically binding contract."
"What did you ssssay?" Hissed Harry, his anger making its way to the surface as the words came out in Parseltongue and English at the same time.
There was a small part of him that simply snapped as this charade went on. It was the feeling of being in a situation completely outside of his control, to the point where he was utterly powerless. The outright refusal of anyone to step up for him only made it worse, as even Dumbledore seemed think he was lying.
Almost all of the room's occupants reeled back in horror, each of them paling as their expressions shifted into shock. None were more drastic than Snape and Karkaroff, the both of them shaking at his tone of voice. Dumbledore looked at him closely in that moment, as if evaluating him, and having the least reactive response. The same could be said for Delacour, who was obviously surprised but not horrified like the others. Even Moody seemed out of it, but Harry ignored them.
"I never even entered my name, so how exactly am I bound in a magical contract?!" Demanded Harry, his temper straining its very limits.
"It does not matter." Argued Crouch back. "Your name came out of the Goblet, meaning it has chosen you as a champion, forcing you to compete."
"And what is to stop me from going out there and destroying the Goblet right now! Because I'll do it! " Yelled Harry, so enraged that the last part was a violent hiss.
"Don't be a fool Harry!" Ordered Dumbledore, more serious than Harry had seen before. "The Goblet is an ancient artifact, even attempting such a thing could end in an unimaginable disaster!"
Although incensed, Harry saw that Dumbledore was deadly serious. The old man actually did fear the repercussions if Harry did attempt such a thing.
"So then I lose my magic, is that it Headmaster?!" Snarled Harry. "Because there's no bloody way I'm competing in this damn tournament!"
Some of the rooms occupants gasped, shocked by Harry's threat. McGonagall almost seemed close to tears, and Harry reveled in the satisfaction of seeing Dumbledore's pale face at his threat.
"There's no need for that, my boy." Said Dumbledore, trying to de-escalate.
"Enough of this!" Snarled Karkaroff suddenly. "It's not fair for Hogwarts to have two bites at the apple while we each have one champion."
"Zat is right." Madame Maxime agreed. "Somezing must be done! Ze boy must not compete in ze tournament for Hogwarts, and at ze minimum he must be punished!"
Harry saw Fleur look sharply at her Headmistress then, before the French Veela looked at him. He could see so many emotions in her conflicted features, and couldn't help but feel sorry for her. The tournament was supposed to be her time to shine, not his, and the last thing Harry wanted was to take away the spotlight. 'This is supposed to be her moment, not mine. '
"I'm not competing for Hogwarts." Harry suddenly said, causing the conversation to come to a halt.
"Care to explain that, boy?" Professor Moody asked.
"The Goblet is supposed to select three champions for three schools, meaning I don't represent a school. Cedric already represents Hogwarts anyways."
"Zen who will you represent?" Madame Maxime asked.
"I don't know? Myself? It doesn't really matter to me." He shrugged. "You don't even have to give me any points."
"You act as if it ez a burden to be selected Champion." The woman sniffed. "Many of your classmates would do anything to be in your position."
"Then they would be fools. People has perished in this tournament, and Potter's reaction seems to be adequate for someone in his position." Professor Moody said darkly, his eye roaming over Snape and Karkaroff. "Maybe Potter's right about not putting his name in the Goblet, and someone else did. Especially someone who wants him to die in this tournament."
"And what are you suggesting, Alastair?" Karkaroff glared the the ex-auror. "That perhaps one of us did it?"
"If the glove fits-"
"Enough!" Dumbledore barked. "This matter can be investigated and decided upon later. For now, I believe our Champions have some things they need to be informed of, Ludo?"
Bagman moved forward joyfully as the conversation moved on to what they needed to know about the tournament. Harry barely listened however, instead trying to calm himself down as he acclimated to his new situation. While the others talked he could feel someone staring his direction, and he looked over to see Fleur staring over at him with concern.
"Harry, wait!"
The yell made him stop as he turned to see Fleur heading towards him, walking as quickly as possible in her Beauxbatons uniform and heels. They had all left the antechamber after the whole mess with the selection, with Harry taking his time as he slowly made his way back to Gryffindor tower. It seemed that he wasn't alone however, as the French Veela had quietly followed him.
"Fleur, I-" He began as she got closer, but stopped mid-sentence as he didn't know what exactly to say. She got very close to him, and he could feel her warm breath against his skin once again.
"I'm sorry about all this." He finally settled on saying. "I know you wanted to be in the tournament, but the same can't be said for me. I honestly just wanted to have a relaxing year this time."
"Oui, I considered that after seeing ze reactions of all of them back there." Fleur said with a slight grin. "For someone so discreet, you sure do seem to attract a lot of attention."
"Trust me, it's not something I like." He replied tiredly. "Honestly, you wouldn't believe how often things like this happen to me."
"Getting placed in dangerous tournaments is something you consider common?" She raised an inquisitive blonde eyebrow.
"It's honestly not that far off." He tried to grin at his own ill-fortune, but it came out a grimace.
"Then you'll have to tell me about it sometime." Fleur threw her hair back, looking away with a sniff. "Perhaps we can work on ze tournament together."
Harry blinked. "Really?"
"Oui." Fleur shrugged casually, but he could tell she was tense for some reason. "If you are not going to actually compete against ze rest of us, then I see no problem with it."
"Umm… sure, that sounds great." Harry answered, feeling his cheeks getting warm. Fleur seemed somewhat similar, her own high cheekbones looking somewhat pink. "I guess I'lll see you around?"
Fleur nodded before turning and heading towards the Beauxbatons carriage, and he felt his gaze fall down to her beautiful swaying hips before looking away. With a shake of his head, Harry began the journey back to Gryffindor tower, feeling lonely once again as he climbed the grand stair and arrived at the Fat Lady's portrait.
"It is an honor to have a member of House Gryffindor be a champion in the prestigious Triwizard Tournament." The Fat Lady said to him.
"It doesn't feel like it." Harry replied sullenly, saying the password before making his way into the common room.
The mood in the Gryffindor common room was stiflingly quiet, a silent condemnation of Harry being picked as Champion. It made him feel nauseous, like he was falling into an endless abyss that had been created just for him. He remembered back in the antechamber, and how everyone seemed to think he was lying about his name being chosen. It seemed that things were the same here, with no one giving him the benefit of the doubt.
"So the champion has decided to grace us with his presence." Angelina was the first to speak, glaring at him as he crossed the common room. "How were you chosen as Champion, Harry?"
"I don't know." He replied, holding back his anger. "I didn't even go near the Goblet and yet my name came out anyways."
"And that's just convenient, isn't it?" She grumbled back, with the rest of the room watching on in silence. "Don't bother showing your face around too much, Potter. And don't expect us to root for you either."
He grit his teeth in frustration, seeing even his quidditch teammates were against him. He buried his emotions deep, opting to head up to his dorm and get some rest. Sadly, when he arrived there it seemed that his roommates were already waiting for him.
"How did your name come out of the Goblet, mate?" Ron asked him as he entered, using a certain tone of voice that made his hairs stand on end.
"I don't know."
"It's okay, you can tell us." Ron replied, sounding whimsical. "I wish that you had given your friends a chance to enter too, that way we could all get fame and glory."
"I said I don't know!" Harry let some of his irritation show through.
"Well, that's convenient, isn't it?" Ron gave up on acting nice, instead sounding bitter.
"And what is that supposed to mean?!" He was sick of Ron's theatrics.
"It means that the famous Harry Potter is always chasing more fame while leaving us behind!" Seamus cut in from across the room, glaring at him.
"You think I wanted this?" Harry hissed. "The last thing I want is more fame and glory! I don't even know how my name got in the Goblet anyways!"
"It was that Veela girl, wasn't it?" Ron sneered. "She did it, didn't she?"
"Fleur?" Harry was genuinely taken back, feeling his heart beat faster. "You think she put my name in? That's ridiculous!"
"We've all seen the way she looks at you." Ron's words stank of jealousy. "How she approached you in the Great Hall the other day, and that's not mentioning the World Cup! You're out there parading around with the hottest girl in school while the rest of us are left with scraps!"
"You're delusional." Harry shook his head.
"Well it doesn't matter, does it?" Seamus asked. "You got what you wanted, so go enjoy your time in the spotlight while leaving us behind."
He didn't reply to Seamus, instead glaring back at him and Ron before moving over to his bed and shutting the curtains. He laid flat on his bed and stared at the ceiling in silence, his mind racing as he thought of all of the night's revelations. 'So much for having an easy year. '
A/N:
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