Chapter 5
The entire department was kept to the secrecy of the Pevensies' true age. Still there were times of some slip ups.
"Oh, Peter, you were always awful at Herbology!," Pomona shouted as she used her wand to subdue the flailing vines of the Venomous Tentaculas that had engulfed him and a few students.
"You were on Gryffindor's Quidditch team? That's fantastic. You should try again this year, Susan." Harry exclaimed. He was happy for any more time with the older girl. "But who's Andrew Snowy Owl? He was never Slytherin's captain since I've been attending Hogwarts."
"Edmund! You can't just go into the Forbidden Forest by yourself!" scolded McGonagall. "I don't care if you were talking to the centaurs."
"I'm telling you, Professor Snape, Professor Slughorn said the potion needed three pieces of frog's toes, not four. Trust me, I was there when he wrote his book we're using now!"
It was finally time! Night fell, and students crowded altogether in the Great Hall. A small unassuming chalice rested atop its cradle, with a bright blue fire in its cup.
"Are you sure you're alright, Professor Moody?"
The man appeared haggard. Well, even more so than he usually was. His hand weary ran through wisps of hair as he licked his lips.
"I'm alright, Ms. Pevensie. Just a little tired."
"There are two Ms. Pevensies, Professor. You can call me Lucy."
The Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher gave a small grunt. He didn't know why the elfin girl was so attached to him. Sometimes she would stay after class to speak to him, even participating in the arduous scrubbing of the cauldrons.
To think that she was the same age as his mother, but appeared as a first year…
Her eyes were so knowing though. All the Pevensies were. As if they could see right through him.
A bright flare of light interrupted his musings.
"The first competitor from Beauxbatons is Fleur Delacour!"
Harry Potter whooped and cheered at his seat beside Susan Pevensie as the pretty quarter-Veela stood atop the dias. He still thought Susan outshone the seventeen year old witch.
Another flash of light.
"The second competitor from Durmstrang is Viktor Krum!"
Manly shouts and roars erupted from the school from Bulgaria. The Seeker was sure to win the Triwizard Cup.
The final flare spouted from the silver item.
"The last and final competitor from Hogwarts is…"
A sharp silence fell from Dumbledore.
"Peter Pevensie."
There was an awkward gasp between the ones clothed in dark cloaks. A few sporadic claps followed the tall handsome 7th year from Hufflepuff as he slowly stood up. Not many knew the new student, but those in lessons with him knew he was abysmal apart from the most basic spells.
"It's as if he was just handed a wand for the first time," the Patil twins giggled to themselves.
Cedric Diggory frowned from those wearing the yellow uniform, for sure thinking that he would have had his name called.
"No!" Edmund stood to shout from the Ravenclaw table, but Luna Lovegood pulled him back to his seat.
Everyone's shock was not yet over.
The cup shimmered again.
"Harry Potter," the headmaster read with utter astonishment.
Susan placed a hand on his shoulders so that he would remain in his place, but Hermione, ever the rule follower, shoved him forward.
The quartet was shuttled down the steps into the waiting room.
"Is Hogwarts so flawed that it needed two challengers for the Cup?" Igor Karkaroff sneered.
Madame Maxime agreed. "It iz not fair! We must have deux participants per school then!"
"Did you place your name in the Goblet of Fire?" Dumbledore quietly spoke privately to the two shocked students from his own school.
Harry sputtered, "I did not! I can't get past the age line. Perhaps Peter did."
The older student shook his head. "I didn't either."
"It's a trick!" Snape insisted.
"Or a trap," followed McGonagall.
The witch continued on. "We know the cup is a magically binding agreement, but we can circumvent it. The boys can participate and just sit out of the contests."
Flitwick nodded encouragingly, while Moody listened nearby.
Moody liked Peter. The boy wasn't afraid to use fists and a knife, rather than to rely on his magic. He also had not blanched at the revelation of the three unforgivable curses. The lad was chivalrous to a fault though. He and Potter would make a headache of a pair. He stood up.
"Nevermind. What's done is done. I'll double up on private lessons with the both of them. I highly doubt whoever put their names in the goblet will just let them 'sit it out' though."
Dumbledore brought the entire group back to the waiting horde in the large hall.
"Our champions will be Fleur Delacour, Viktor Krum, Peter Pevensie, and Harry Potter!"
Pomona fretted quietly about the well-being of her former fellow student and the-boy-who-lived. She could spy the youngest Pevensie sister scooping up the fragments of paper littered around the hall. The blonde's words of encouragement with her siblings carried as they gathered around the scarred boy.
"Don't worry, Harry. We'll help each other no matter what the rules say. I'll use all the powers in the worlds to keep you safe."
Dear, dear, Lucy. I hope your actions can match your valiant words.
Dias always looks wrong to me. I had Dumbledore speaking quietly instead of shouting like the meme. I never understood why Harry didn't just sit the tasks out in the Goblet of Fire.
Grignard
