Chapter 42

810 33 1
                                    

As Dumbledore entered with Madam Maxime and Igor Karkarof following closely. Minerva pushed her way in to see Harry with his head stuck in the fire. They could do nothing but wait for Harry to finish as the other champions asked questions. Harry removed his head from the flames and ignored everyone besides Minerva.
"Professor would you mind allowing Sirius through please before he does something stupid." Harry asked politely.
"Of course Harry." She said eagerly. "Your guardian should be here as you are underage." She said this with a look towards not only Dumbledore but the others too. A few moments later a furious Sirius Black and an equally furious Silvershard stepped through with another goblin who introduced himself as Brudstone and left to examine the goblet meeting Professor Flitwick at the door. The two held a brief conversation and left hurriedly.
"Harry my boy did you enter your name in the goblet of fire?" Dumbledore asked.
"Are you made Albus?!" Igor exclaimed. "The boy made a magical oath proving his innocence."
"Indeed Mr Potter appears to be a victim in all of this." Said Madam Maxime in heavily accented French.
"Might I see the paper that holds his name?" Silvershard asked. Dumbledork was out numbered and had no choice but to hand the paper over. He was dumbfounded at how the situation had gotten away from him. The boy should have been to scared to speak up and just except his fate. Not have half the staff and the visiting heads on his side not to mention a magical oath. The boy had been nothing but trouble since Sirius had been freed. The goblins had been no help at all as soon as the guardianship changed. More of Albus's plans had begun to unravel.
"Ah." Said the goblin Silvershard smuggly. "Heir Potter-Black will not have to compete as this piece of parchment does not hold his full name nor the titles he holds as such his participation in not mandatory nor inforceable."
Harry and Sirius let our relieved sighs now that he would not be forced to compete.
"Hang on a moment but his name is 'Harry Potter'" Ludo Bagman announced.
"Actually upon Lord Black claiming guardianship over Harry, he became Harry James Potter-Black." Silvershard explained as one would do to a young child. "This merely says 'Harry Potter' and it does not include his heir status therefore Heir Potter-Black is not a champion and has no need to compete. Hogwarts has only one Champion Heir Diggory."
"Well as long as that's cleared up," Minerva said cheerfully. "I will see to it, it announced at breakfast that Heir Potter-Black is not and never was a Champion."
"Thank you Minnie." Sirius said pulling Harry into a hug.
"I can do one better," said Professor Snape from the corner. "I will go and inform my Slytherin's tonight about this mix-up."
"Yes that's a good idea I will inform Professor Sprout on my way back to the common room." Cedric spoke up suddenly he was also very relieved that Harry wouldn't be competing against him. People had died in this tournament and Harry was still young after all.
"Now I'm sure-" Dumbledore began but was cut off when Professor Flitwick entered the room swearing in gobbledygook with a furious Brudstone following.
"There was a very strong confundus spell placed on the goblet an extra school was added so the goblet  gave out four names instead of three." Said Flitwick glaring at the headmaster. "Unfortunately we cannot tell who cast it but it was a direct attack on house Potter. His was the only name under the fourth school I wish we could tell you more but whomever cast the spell covered their tracks well."
"Thankfully whomever put his name in the goblet didn't know his full name or titles so Harry doesn't have to compete." Sirius replied brightly.
"Well thank merlin for that." Flitwick cheered significantly. "Thanks to Brudstone's knowledge and talent we have removed the spell and rechecked all the names. Miss Delacour and Misters Krum and Diggory are the true champions."
The others cheered and Harry asked to go back to his dorm. Flitwick was told the plan to inform students tonight or early on the morning and went to exit the room. Fleur and Victor went back to their respective rooms to talk to their classmates and left with their headmaster's. Dumbledore was left with an angry Sirius and very angry goblins.
"If I find you had anything to do with this then we will have some real problems in the neat future." He said threateningly. "I hope I don't have to come back hear soon."
"Yes we at Gringotts would be very distressed to hear of any more accidents involving our favorite client." Silvershard said nastily as only a goblin can. "Good evening headmaster pray we do not meet again too soon." With three green flashes Albus was left alone to wonder how this had all gotten away from him. The complete dismissal of his presence from his own staff was also troubling, Albus was half angry half resigned to this new state of affairs. He could only hope his intervention in thos matter was not found. Although it was clear to him that Filius suspected him. Leaving the room to retreat to his office he began to wonder if he was truly getting to old.

             ----------------------------

Minerva escorted Harry to the Gryffindor common room and was met with an unusual silence. Everyone was waiting for Harry to appear, upon seeing him Ginny, Hermione and the girls from the quidditch team rushed to hug him. Questions were asked by most everyone and chaos reined until Mcgonagall let a Canon blast loose from her wand silencing them.
"I know you are concerned for Mr Potter-Black but rest assured we have the problem well in hand." She said in a clear firm voice. "A intense investigation into Harry's name coming from the goblet has proven that someone unknown at this time placed Harry's name against his wishes. Fortunately that person didn't know that his full name and titles had to be used for the contract to be valid. Misters Diggory and Krum and Miss Delacour are the official champions. Mr Potter-Black will not be competing and is not a champion. Mr Diggory is the Hogwarts representative and I hope you can put all you support behind him."
"D-do you know why Harry's name came out?" Lavender Brown asked softly.
"We don't know why we only know how." She replied her lips tightened with displeasure. "A extremely powerful confundus charm was cast on the goblet. The DMLE will investigate so I can say no more about it. Please return to your rooms and get some rest. You still have classes tomorrow I bid you all goodnight."
As she left most of the Gryffindors left except Harry his friends, Neville and the quidditch team. Harry explained how he had called Sirius, how he had been at Gringotts and how the goblins had helped to clear his name.
Ron talked about how smart he was to make that oath as not even the Slytherin's could argue with that. More discussions about who could have entered his name and how thankful they were that Sirius was at the bank. Hermione actually suggested that Dumbledore might have entered Harry causing many of them to swear to hex the old goat for him. The beginnings of a plan to make Dumbledork's year hell. Harry eventually went to sleep that night better than he had for months.

            -------------------------------

True to their words Pomona who heard what had happened from Cedric, along with Severus and Filius told each of the houses that Harry was not a champion and that someone else had entered his name against his will and Cedric was the true hogwarts champion.
The Ravens were impressed with the swiftness with which Harry had resolved things. The puffs were glad of the recognition that Harry had given them. And the snakes were split on the one side believed in Harry, he had made an oath stating his innocence and the others were not so secretly hoping that the 'boy who lived' would die in the tournament.

Broken MirrorWhere stories live. Discover now