Badgersoul

Chapter 9: Scamming Skeeter

"Do you see anyone laughing?" Leo quirked an eyebrow upward.

"Joke?" Bagman repeated, bewildered. "No, no, not at all! Their names just came out of the Goblet of Fire!"

Krum's thick eyebrows contracted slightly. Cedric was still looking politely bewildered. Fleur frowned.

"But evidently zair 'as been a mistake," she said contemptuously to Bagman. "Zey cannot compete. Zey are too young."

"Oi," Leo replied indignantly. "You're never too young to compete in a tournament filled with danger and death."

"Haha! That's the spirit, Leo!" Bagman laughed heartily, clapping the boy on his shoulder. 

The door behind them opened again, and a large group of people came in: Dumbledore, followed closely by Crouch, Karkaroff, Maxime, McGonagall, and Snape. Leo heard the buzzing of the hundreds of students on the other side of the wall before McGonagall closed the door.

"Madame Maxime!" said Fleur at once, striding over to her headmistress. "Zey are saying zat zese little boys are to compete also!"

"Excuse you," Leo growled irritably. "Who're you calling little? I'm almost taller than you, sweetheart."

Fleur gave him a contemptuous look as Maxime drew herself up to her full, and considerable, height. The top of her handsome head brushed the candle-filled chandelier, and her gigantic black-satin bosom swelled.

"What is ze meaning of zis, Dumbly-dorr?" she said imperiously.

"I'd rather like to know that myself, Dumbledore," said Karkaroff. He was wearing a steely smile, and his blue eyes were like chips of ice. "Three Hogwarts champions? I don't remember anyone telling me the host school is allowed three champions - or have I not read the rules carefully enough?"

That fine print, it'll get ya every time. Leo longed to say this out loud, but a stern look from Minnie told him to keep his mouth shut for the time being while the adults sorted everything out.

"C'est impossible," said Maxime, whose enormous hand with its many superb opals was resting upon Fleur's shoulder. "Ogwarts cannot 'ave three champions. It is most unjust."

"We were under the impression that your Age Line would keep out younger contestants, Dumbledore," said Karkaroff, his steely smile still in place, though his eyes were colder than ever. "Otherwise, we would, of course, have brought along a wider selection of candidates from our own schools."

"It's no one's fault but Potter's and – more likely – Black's, Karkaroff," said Snape softly. His black eyes were alight with malice. "Don't go blaming Dumbledore for their determination to break rules. They have been crossing lines ever since they arrived here -"

That's fair.

"Thank you, Severus," said Dumbledore firmly, and Snape went quiet, though his eyes still glinted malevolently through his curtain of greasy black hair.

Dumbledore was now looking down at Harry and Leo. Though Leo noticed that, once again, he seemed to be avoiding direct eye contact with him.

"Did you put your name into the Goblet of Fire?" he asked calmly.

"No," said Harry.

"Nope," Leo replied in a bored tone.

"Did you ask an older student to put it into the Goblet of Fire for you?" said Dumbledore.

"No," said Harry vehemently.

Leo stared at him for a moment, mouth slightly agape and eyebrows raised in mild shock.