If there was a day where things started flipping upside down and turning for the worst, it would be today. Not that anyone had seen it coming since it was so sudden and unexpected, that's what today would be like...
With the Beauxbaton Academy, Durmstrang Institute and Hogwarts students gathering in the Great Hall, the once massive-looking room had now been filled with students buzzing around excitedly as they wait for the results of the Triwizard Tournament. Tonight, three champions will be picked, three champions will battle against each other to bring pride to their school, and achieve the eternal glory from the Goblet of Fire. Or so they thought.
The hall was dimmer than usual, with the brilliant blue flames taking the attention and bringing the glow around the castle's walls along with the faint orange scones that distributed enough light for everyone to see. Everyone waited as the professors, headmasters and headmistress alongside Mr Crouch who had made his way to the staff's table. "Settle down, please," ordered Dumbledore and students began bustling to their seats, Aine sat between Hermione and Neville while Ginny was behind her with Ron.
"Now the moment you're all waiting for— The champion selection," the Hogwarts Headmaster announced, scanning the hall as he decreases the fire on the scones to create a darker atmosphere so that all eyes would be focused on the Goblet of Fire. His hands trembled towards the goblet, tracing the inscriptions that were engraved near the rim before stepping back. Aine's eyes stared at the blue flames, dancing so elegantly before it fades to blazing scarlet flames that were fiercely crackling before it ejects a burnt parchment which Dumbledore had grabbed.
He looks at the name written on it before he turns to the Slytherin's table, "The Durmstrang champion is— Viktor Krum!" Dumbledore proclaims and Krum pumps his fist while his schoolmates growled with cheers and clapping, his friends patting his back as he stood and walked towards Dumbledore to shake his hand before stepping into the gates behind the teacher's table proudly.
All eyes wandered back to the goblet, where the red flames changed to blue, before turning into purple, and a circle-shaped blue parchment cascades elegantly down as Dumbledore caught the second participant's entry. He strokes the folded paper that reminded Aine of a ballerina's tutu and spins to the next champion, "The champion for Beauxbatons, is Fleur Delacour!" he stated as the Beauxbaton academy jumped up with bright cheers, and Fleur's friends beamed at her, as she hugs the student Aine had bumped into previously. He nodded at her and smiled before letting her go as she joyfully struts towards Dumbledore and shook her hand. Madame Maxime gives her a tight embrace before Fleur skips to the back chambers.
As for the final victor, a parchment shot from a golden flame as everyone lay in silence, wondering who the Hogwarts champion will represent the school. Dumbledore takes the paper and unfolded it, with a grin on his face he reveals, "The Hogwarts champion is... Cedric Diggory!"
The hall clamoured with 'yays' as they watch the Hufflepuff's prefect shake his friends' hands with a radiating smile that only make people get captivated by him. Ron and Harry cheered loudly and whistled while Ginny and Aine burst out with claps to cheer him on. The Hufflepuff's students were ecstatic, for the first time in so long, they weren't shadowed by anyone and that motivated Cedric a lot, they were all happy for him despite those who didn't get picked, and the other houses applauded as he nips towards the Headmaster whose eyes twinkled when he hugged the boy.
Cedric walked to the back of the hall, casting a glance of thanks to his mates before he joins the other two champions.
As the three victors were chosen, the hall was left in a state of frenzy but it was soon calmed down when Dumbledore flared his arms, "Excellent! Now that we have our three outstanding champions. Only one will only one will go down in history. Only one will hoist this chalice of champions this vessel of victory— the Triwizard Cup!" he declares, pointing to the covered object as the cloth covering it unveils the majestic trophy.
Students marvelled at the sight of it, and Aine beamed at the beautiful prize. The cup's walls were stained in light turquoise with diamonds framing every facet of it, and three dragons snaked up to the rim, posing as handles as the frames plunged into the goblet's stem with a repousséd tree motif branching to the sides. The base of the trophy was a hexagon shape, mirroring the shape of the cup's walls. The letters, 'T, R, I, W, I, Z, A, R, D' were all etched around the glass plane with cracks and chips created and formed over time. It glowed brightly as students began gaping at it, their mouths hung open in awe.
However, Aine's eyes tore away from the cup when she saw Professor Snape frowning behind Dumbledore, his gaze hardened on the seething fire from the goblet, causing the Headmaster to turn in the direction the Potions Master was looking at. The blue flame trembled, hissing as it swayed aggressively into a tornado. The cheers died down as everyone fixated their attention on the goblet of fire, and all of the sudden, the flames shot upwards, before spitting out another paper that was falling down like a brittle sad leaf to which, Dumbledore had seized.
He looks down onto the parchment and his expression fell blank as he mutters in confusion, "Harry Potter."
Aine turns to Harry stiffly, not believing what she just heard, her brows pushed together as stares at him in disbelief.
"Harry Potter?" Dumbledore called again, whipping around the hall to find the boy. The whole cohort of students and staff darted to the boy's direction, glaring and scowling causing him to sit right back down, equally bewildered.
"No... No!" Harry says, shaking his head in denial.
"HARRY POTTER!" Dumbledore bellows, his voice full of rage demanding him to step forward. Hermione lurched towards the boy, "Come on, Harry," she urges him, growing impatient and uncomfortable with the attention, "Harry, for goodness sake." she mumbles under her breath, as she helps him up, pushing him forward.
Aine lips curled downwards, visibly upset and stunned. She watches as the boy plodded to the front, conscious of everyone's looks on him as he approaches Dumbledore who cast a glare towards him, waiting for his answer to how and why he was participating in this contest when he's not even of age. The man handed him the parchment, anger was displayed obviously on his face before Harry walks away hurriedly, at a frantic pace. Eyes wearily looking around to people who started calling him names, and more importantly...
"HE'S A CHEAT!"
"Cheater..."
"He's not even seventeen yet!"
Harry passed by Snape who looks down at him, his expressionless face showing some emotions for the first time in so long. McGonagall steps towards him and squeezed his shoulders to offer some form of reassurance despite her graved face that was filled with worry before he passes her to the back chambers.
Everyone was either glowering with fury or even envy, feeling anxious, worried, or extremely confused, or perhaps all of it. However, Harry being chosen as one of the victors had caught everyone off their guards as all eyes simply looked towards Dumbledore, his wrath overflowing as it spreads around the hall before he asks the other school's Headmaster and Headmistress, a couple of professors alongside with Barty Crouch Snr to follow him to the hall's chambers to have a discussion on what's to be done.
It left students whispering as soon as they were gone, despite prefects and the remaining professors urging them to stay silent. However, they were all distracted by their curiosity as without a couple of minutes later, they could hear the loud objections of Madame Maxime, Professor McGonagall.
"I protest!" screeches Madame Maxime.
"Silence!" Igor barks.
Aine looks to Hermione who shared her uneasiness as her mind began trailing into a series of thoughts in her head. It's not possible... It's not. How can he, a mere fourteen-year-old boy enter the competition? Was Harry really that eager to join it to gain eternal glory when he already had enough attention drawing onto him? Was he really that selfish of a person? Aine refused to believe that, seeing his face earlier; it seems that he too hadn't expected it. Even if he did want to enter, how was he able to step into the age line and not get blasted away with the same spell that caused Fred and George to be enchanted to be older? How did he do it?
The girl bit on her lips, analyzing every possible reason and their outcomes, they would all be resulted in him being turned at the price of not being qualified. Yet, how did Harry Potter put his name into the goblet, let alone walk out unharmed afterwards?
She started panicking, almost as if she was the one who had entered the tournament. She recalled when Dumbledore had stated that this wasn't a competition for the faint heart. Sure, Harry was courageous, bold and brave, probably too brave that it made him reckless at certain times, but he's only fourteen. Aine remembered Hermione telling her that students had lost their lives being in this deadly competition, which was why the Ministry decided to only allow those who are far older and experienced to compete, and Harry certainly wasn't ready yet. Her internal voice was rambling until she pauses abruptly. What if... What if he had asked someone older than him to put his name in the fire for him? No— Which thoughtless fool would do that? I'm sure they would have figured out how dangerous this tournament is and that risking to do that would be the dumbest thing they have thought to do.
But what if he didn't ask someone, but someone did it without his consent. Someone older, who—
"Did you put your name in the Goblet of Fire?!" She heard Dumbledore's voice practically yelling across the hall, and flinched at the magnitude of his rage. She had never heard him shout like that before, and even when he was angry. This just showed how serious the problem was by the way he was acting.
Ginny tugged on Aine's sleeves, gulping as Aine patted her and took a deep breath, "Do you think he's going to be alright?" her friend asks, and Aine stood silent for a while, "I don't know Gin, I really don't... I just hope he'll be."
The red-headed girl sighed and played with her hair to distract herself from overthinking. Sure, she was trying to let go of her obsession with Harry and exploring and finding herself more experience the aspect of 'love', but it's really like this time where her heart just wrenches at the thought of seeing him in danger, and she couldn't help but worry about him.
Not long later, the adults had come back into the hall, their faces filled with a mixture of hurt, stress and unease before Mr Crouch announced, "After strict and careful deliberating with the headmasters and professors, we have decided to declare Mr Potter, over here—" he pulls Harry towards him, squeezing a firm hand on his arms as he went on, "As of tonight, Mr Potter will join the other three chosen ones as champions. He shall be the fourth champion and enter this tournament with Professor Moody acting as his mentor."
Harry hung his head after realizing all the piercing stares he had gained, drooping lower and smaller. Just what had he done to be rewarded like this? He thought to himself, I didn't ask for any of this to happen...
"S-Shall we have a round of applause for Mr Potter?" Mr Crouch stated and it took a few seconds before students began clapping awkwardly, forcing a smile and unsure how long they should clap for. It was making them a little uncomfortable and clearly, Dumbledore had noticed. He dismissed the students as they made their way back to their respective common rooms to turn in for the night.
Harry caught Aine's eyes on him before he mutters so softly and his mouth held a sad smile, he tells her, "It wasn't me. I didn't do it..." desperately hoping at least someone could believe him. A smile flickered across Aine's face like a flash to Harry, mouthing back the words, "I know," before they split their ways, heading to the girl's dormitory along with Hermione and Ginny who gave him one last nod.
When the door shuts, Ginny was the first one to start, "What the bloody hell was that all about?" she asks, outraged and Hermione sat on her bed while Aine leans against the wall, looking out to the pouring rain.
"Beats me... I don't even know how to react to this now." Hermione mutters bitterly, trailing off, sighing.
"I can't believe they let him in! Didn't they say people die in this tournament?" exclaimed Ginny who crosses her arms, and her two friends nodded, "He'll— die! For Godric's sake, who knows what they had planned for him!" she added, unsettled by the fact.
Aine moves to her and silently tapped on Ginny's hand, "He'll be alright. He will be alright." she mumbles, looking dejectedly to the burgundy carpet as she reassures her friends. Hermione looks at her, and Aine repeated her words, "He'll be okay," she convinces her friends, saying the words again and again until it stuck to her mind, he'll be okay...
But deep down, Aine wondered:
Will he really be okay?
Will he escape Death, once more?
Whatever is to come, she's eager to figure out who is the real perpetrator who started all of this, and why. She drifts from Ginny's eyes to the thundering storm, as a bolt of lightning suddenly flashed, and wondered what more will surprise her in the days to come...
─── ⋆⋅☀⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☀⋅⋆ ───
Duun... Duun... Duun! The moment of the Triwizard Tournament where the champions are chosen. It's such a thrill writing this part, and honestly? When I was watching the Goblet of Fire and when Harry's name was called, I was like, "They really like to give him so many challenges, huh?" Then again, it's called Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and since he's the main character... Figured...
Anyways! It's the new year! Happy New Year everyone! ^^ I thought I'll give ya'll a new year's present with this chapter! Do leave a comment, I'd like to know if there's one person or student or staff you wish to see compete in the competition, who would it be?
-Zeneria