The Fourth Wizard

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Potterverse.

Author's Note: Many thanks to BuggyCas, also a reminder that this is AU.

Chapter Two

By October first they had settled into their classes and were wondering when they'd hear more about the other schools or the tournament. At breakfast that day their questions were answered.

Dumbledore stood at the head table and said, "Our sister schools will be arriving tomorrow so they can familiarize themselves with the castle and its environs. You may enter your name any time between now and the drawing of names on the thirty-first if you are of age before the drawing. Please be courteous and kind to the visitors to our school. Thank you, you may now commence eating."

"I wonder if they will have classes with us?" Harry said.

"I wonder if they join us for sports," said Ron. "I know there are no official Quidditch matches scheduled but maybe we can play some friendly ones."

"Both are possible I guess," Hermione said. "It depends on if they speak English for the first and if they like Quidditch for the second."

"Who doesn't like Quidditch?" Ron said. Then he shrugged, "I guess we'll have to wait and see."

The next day dawned and most students took extra care to look nice that morning and everyone showed up for breakfast even though it was Sunday. An hour after breakfast they were lined up on the front lawn waiting.

Ron pointed, "There! I see something coming through the air."

Soon it was clear that what he'd seen was eight large winged horses pulling a carriage. Harry said, "It must be much larger on the inside like your dad's tent Ron. Otherwise, it wouldn't fit more than a couple of people and they'd be terribly uncomfortable on the long ride here."

"I'm sure it's been heavily enchanted Harry," Hermione said.

"Those horses are making quick work of the distance," Ron added.

"The proper name for those equines is Abraxan," Hermione said.

"He was right about their speed though," Harry said.

Less than two minutes later the Abraxan and the carriage they pulled touched down onto the grass in front of the school. Hagrid stepped up to grab the reins from the driver who jumped down and unfolded a small step ladder that he put in front of the carriage door.

He then opened the door and in ringing tones declared, "Presenting the headmistress of the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, Madame Olympia Maxima."

The person who emerged was a lot taller than Harry expected but she did seem to be dressed very fashionably as far as he could tell. She walked up to Dumbledore who was six foot tall and he only came up to her chest. She held out a hand and he kissed it. "Madame, we are honored to have you grace our institution."

"I am pleased and honored to be here," she replied.

Anything else she might have said was interrupted by the sound of a large splash from the lake as a large wooden sailing ship rose like a submarine from beneath the waves.

"Ah, I see Igor has arrived," Albus said to Olympia "Let us go greet him."

She replied, "Can I send my candidates inside first? This climate is significantly colder than the one we left or the inside of our carriage." She indicated the students who had exited the carriage and stood shivering in light blue silk uniforms.

Albus nodded, "By all means." He turned and called out, "Prefects! Please show our guests into the dining hall and get them something hot to drink."

The Head Boy smiled and offered his arm to a tall blonde. She gave him a measuring glance then put a hand on his arm and said, "Merci." They lead the others inside as the two heads walked towards the lake to greet their colleague. As she passed most of the boys and some of the girls watched her go.

Harry shook his head after she vanished from sight and said, "That was weird." Then he looked thoughtful, "Hey Ron, did that remind you of anything?"

Ron looked confused and Hermione looked angry as she replied, "Exactly what is her arse supposed to remind him off Harry?"

"What?" he said. "No, I meant that the response was a lot like when the Veela came out at the World Cup. Heck if you could remember who looked and who didn't, you'd know who was straight. Or at least get a good idea."

Hermione immediately pulled out a self inking quill and a notebook, "Alright, I forgive you both for being such lads. Now shush for a few minutes."

Harry looked at Ron who shrugged. Harry then said, "Let's hope she only uses her powers for good."

Ron grinned, "Or at least shares any blackmail money she gets."

Hermione huffed, "I'm not planning on blackmailing anyone but knowledge is power and you never know when we might need a little leverage. You lot never complain when my knowledge saves your arses!"

Harry said, "I agree and will always take any help you offer but do you realize that you are shouting about arses while surrounded by the rest of the students and the faculty?" She just glared at him and finished her list.

Harry noticed several people drifting inside along with the prefects and guests, "Do you think it's okay to head back in ourselves? I want to see if the girl is still broadcasting or if she's shut it off now that's she's inside."

Hermione bit her lip as she considered, "Well I don't think we'd get in trouble for it but I think it would be rude not to greet the students from Durmstrang as well as we greeted the ones from Beauxbatons."

Harry sighed, "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Ron smiled, "On the bright side I heard Viktor Krum was going to be one of the students from Durmstrang. I'm sure you'd like to meet him after seeing him play in the cup."

Hermione rolled her eyes but Harry nodded, "I would like that but he might be as tired of his fame as I am and not in the mood to meet new fans after a long trip."

Now Ron sighed, "Yeah." Then he brightened. "He'll be here for the whole school year though. So our chances of an autograph and a greeting are good overall."

"True," Harry said.

The three school leaders walked up and made a short speech about the joys of international cooperation that no one but Hermione listened to, then everyone went inside. Harry and Ron didn't get to meet Krum but he waved and smiled at all the students who shouted his name.

"I guess he doesn't hate his fame," Ron said.

Harry nodded, "True, but then he actually earned his by voluntary effort instead of something that happened to him when he was a baby."

Hermione snorted, "Right, because killing a Basilisk with a famous sword and chasing a hundred Dementors off have nothing at all to do with how other students see you."

"Do you have to remind me of that Hermione?" Harry said, "I'd rather people forget and it looks like a few of the Durmstrang students heard you."

"Well I'd rather not remember the Dementors either," she replied. "But as long as you remain low on confidence and bad at taking compliments I'm going to keep reminding of all the things your voluntary effort has accomplished." She grinned at Harry then and after a minute he grinned back.

"Well thanks I guess," he replied.

Once everyone was again seated in the hall Harry decided that either she had stopped broadcasting or that at least her range had decreased because he didn't feel the pull anymore. Dumbledore stood and repeated his liability speech for the new arrivals then added, "We have an Unspeakable from Department of Mysteries here to start things off properly." He gestured to the side and a man in a hooded white cloak that hid his face walked out with an ornate box in his hands.

The man, or woman, it was difficult to tell, conjured a small table in front of the staff table and placed the box on it.

Harry was quietly impressed by the man's show of skill, "Conjuring a table that size isn't easy and if its a permanent conjuration that makes powerful as well as skilled."

"Well he is an Unspeakable Harry," Hermione said. "I think skilled and powerful describe the lot of them."

Ron nodded, "And you can add close-mouthed to that as well. Dad says that he count the number of times he's heard one talk on one hand and he's worked at the ministry for twenty years."

"Then I guess we should stop talking and listen," Harry said.

The tall figure waited until all conversation had ceased then said in a deep bass voice that Harry suspected wasn't natural but easily filled the large room, "I have brought with me an ancient artifact known as The Goblet of Fire. It is a relic of the druids who once were the main practitioners of magic in this land. They used it to determine who among them was fittest for several different things including sacrifice."

The face still wasn't visible but you could hear a smile in the voice as he, well probably he, continued, "You won't have to worry about being inside a wicker man though. The artifact has been altered so that now it only judges your general fitness. Write your name and school on a piece of paper and drop it into the goblet and on the thirty-first, a holiday as ancient as the goblet at least, and it will choose the fittest among you to compete in the tournament. Think well first though since once you have added your name you will be magically bound to compete or lose your magic. If you are not chosen there is no recourse. The decisions of the goblet are final and cannot be changed."

The Unspeakable turned and waved his wand over the box then remove a wooden goblet that glowed in all the colors of a fire, reds, yellows, and oranges danced across as he set it on the table he'd conjured then he picked up the box and said, "The TriWizard Tournament has officially entered the first phase. Good luck to all competitors and remember that no one under seventeen is to offer their name." He gestured with his wand and a glowing line suddenly encircled the table. He looked at it for a moment then nodded and left without saying another word.

Dumbledore stepped back up to the podium and announced, "Since we have students from three schools present all classes from here on will be taught to International standards. I'm sure that our students," he was interrupted by coughs from the other two heads and he nodded. "What I mean to say is that, of course, all of our students will have no trouble with these classes and I implore all our Hogwarts students to make the newcomers feel at home. Now you are all dismissed and I hope you have a lovely day."

"International Standards?" Harry said. "I wonder how different they are?"

"I don't know and I'm worried," Hermione said.

"We'll find out tomorrow," Ron said.

Monday morning, as always, started for them with a Potions class. Today there was a surprise as there were three teachers at the head of the classroom. It being a fourth year class there were no other students Harry was surprised to see the other teachers. After settling into a table Harry looked at the other two teachers more closely. One was a tall, burly man with a shaved head, and one was a woman of average height with long brown hair bound up on her head with fancy looking clips.

As soon as everyone was inside Snape said, "In case any of you," he paused, swallowed, then continued, "lovely students were wondering we have three teachers here today because we are teaching a combined class." He gestured to the woman to his left and added, "Madame Caron is the only one with an international teaching certificate so she shall teach and myself and Mister Richtofen will observe. You will show her every courtesy and do what she tells you immediately!"

The man on his right said, "I shouldn't have to say it but that goes for me as well."

Madame Caron said, "To start with I want to ask a few questions to make sure we are all set to proceed. I know that bubble head charms are fourth year material but I do not know if you have learned them yet. Let us have a show of hands of those who can cast one."

Harry was immediately glad he had talked Neville into continuing to study spells after dinner several nights a week. It meant that he, Hermione, and Neville were among the few students raising their hand although Harry noticed that all the Slytherin students seemed to know it.

The professor nodded her head, "Bon. As you well know by now, if you can smell a potion you are actually inhaling a tiny bit of it. In some cases that can be enough to have an effect, and as I plan to cover several poisons during the school year I will be providing protection for those of you unable to cast the spell." She smiled, "At least unless I can count on my colleagues to help?"

The male professor, Richtofen, nodded and went among the students casting silent Bubble head charms.

Snape smiled nastily and said, "Alas, my wrist hurts from all the brewing I did last night so I am unable to assist."

Caron gave him a look but said nothing as she cast her own silent charms on the remaining students. After everyone had the charm up she continued, "Now, it is also true that even the best brewers make mistakes and you are young students. Therefore I shall put up some shielding between tables so that a mistake, if one should happen, will be contained. Next time I will cast without the explanations to speed things up."

Soon there was a barely visible shield spell between each table and it's neighbors and she nodded to herself, "Bon, now I think we shall make something other than a poison or antidote for our first day so how about a contraception potion?"

She laughed merrily at the expressions on some students faces, "Oh, forsooth! I know the English are more, let us say, restrained, that we are on the continent but surely this is no cause for embarrassment?" Still smiling she wrote a list of ingredients on the board and next to each ingredient how it should be prepared. Afterward she consulted a note on the desk, "I believe this recipe should in your current textbook on page 345. If you will turn the page and gather your ingredients we may begin. Remember to step around the floating shields."

By the end of class Harry and Hermione had managed to make a potion that looked right. After banishing the shields Professor Caron said, "I will come around and collect your work now. Please be sure it is properly sealed and labeled. I will grade them and return them to next class. Anyone who achieves an E or better may keep the potion for his or her own use."

When that last comment caused more blushes and a few mutters she laughed again, "You do not have to use them of course."

After Potions they had Charms with the Hufflepuffs and Harry was pleased to learn that Professor Flitwick was certified to teach internationally.

He stood between two much taller Professors and said, "We shall detour from our planned curricula today to teach the bubble head charm as you will need it going forward in Potions. The first one to cast it successfully earns five points for his or her house."

Hermione earned the points but four others including Harry cast it successfully the first time. Flitwick smiled at that, "Wonderful! We have five prodigies. For the rest of the class I would like you to help any of your fellow students that request it. Helping someone else understand things is the best way to cement your own knowledge."