Albus Dumbledore entered his quarters and, with no hesitation, he walked towards the table where his strongest firewhisky was. That whole night had been a disaster that would only become more troublesome in the near future.
He hadn't put the boy's name in the Goblet, but already had suspicions on who may have been the responsible. However, he didn't want to have the DMLE involved, especially now that Alastor was running the department with an iron fist. Although his exact plans didn't involve a fourth champion, it fitted perfectly with his purposes. Of course, he had assumed that Sirius still was that impulsive youngster that admired him instead of the cunning man he had become. He had also assumed that Filius, as much as he seemed to care about Harry, would not intervene. Two miscalculations that were going to have a hefty price he was not sure he wished to pay.
Filius had pointed out a potentially lethal detail he had managed to overlook. If Harry was not a legal adult, then he could lose his magic. The idea of a boy so young becoming an adult horrified him, but the reason he had not put up more of a fight was because he had no arguments against the professor's logic. Besides, if the boy lost his magic then Voldemort would be unstoppable. However, if he was emancipated, many of his plans would be thwarted.
There was nothing else to do, other than begin crafting other plans that would ensure Tom was destroyed.
That night, sleep had eluded him and his brain refused to cooperate with him. He drank until the first lights of the day entered his room, signalling him it was time to face the day.
Albus was sure that Madam Bones would raise hell in the Ministry, but it was good she couldn't cancel the Tournament, otherwise, the champions would lose their magic. That didn't mean it was going to be an easy day. The ones who had disagreed with the competition being reinstated would have leverage over the Wizengamot. Of course, that didn't include the fact that Harry Potter could sue them all and he knew that Miss Blair was more vicious than a famished werewolf during a legal battle. The headmaster needed to find a way of avoiding the lawsuit because he doubted that he could take another blow.
A month ago, he had received a notification. The owner of the dragon reserve had sued him through the ICW for his request. It was an international scandal and he thanked the heavens for the slivers of luck because Rita Skeeter didn't catch a whiff of what was happening. At least his reputation in this country had not been affected as much.
The first trial had been two weeks ago and he was sure that his position as Head of the ICW would come to a terrible end when the verdict was given. How was he supposed to know that the new owner would make such a scandal? Though it had been a bit idiotic on his part to request nesting mothers, he admitted that. He had been planning the first task to the smallest detail, even researching the owners of other dragon reserves, so the first tasks remained the same.
Not that they would use the dragons now. Ah, so much work would be wasted, considering Amelia and Sirius' influence in the Wizengamot would be unrivalled thanks to Harry being involved in the mess. No one would dare to go against them, which meant the woman could now change the tasks as she pleased. However, he would still try to keep the events as close as possible to the original ones.
He entered the great hall and was greeted by the glare of Minerva, who seemed to be ready to rip him a new one if he approached her. Being the sensible man he was, he decided that he would sit next to Severus for a few days... or weeks. The hall was already full and Albus sighed, it was time to give the news.
"Good morning, students! I beg a few minutes of your time," he announced, putting on his grandfatherly persona with more effort than usual. "Yesterday there were, uhm, surprising events taking place. It was decided that Mister Potter will participate in the Triwizard Tournament, but he will not be the only addition. Today, other two champions from the other schools will be chosen!"
"As the headmaster said, other champions will be chosen," Minerva announced, interrupting the speech he was planning to give. "However, the new champions will not be selected by the Goblet, much to their luck and my relief. Professor Flitwick enchanted these boxes himself. They will be impartial and choose the other competitors, but they will not be bound by a dangerous magical contract. If the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students who wish to compete would come to the front and put their names in the box."
Most of the French girls put their names in, but only two of the Bulgarian boys did. Perhaps Pedja had managed to intimidate his students into submission, though he doubted he was granted access to the Slytherin Common room. Deciding he would rather sit down than look like a fool, he did just that. Each of the two principals approached their respective box and chose one of the papers each offered.
"Valerie Aguillon," Olympe announced.
A tall girl with chestnut hair walked to the front. Her smirk spoke of arrogance and the glare she directed at Miss Delacour made him sigh. Children were so prone to allowing their jealousy to take control and create grudges. However, he could understand the reasons why the girl envied her classmate. It was almost impossible to compete against the beauty of a Veela, who also seemed to be intelligent and had talent with magic.
"Iwan Bobkov," Pedja called.
A thin boy of average stature walked to the front. The boy did not seem to have any impressive attribute or characteristic, aside from the fact he was wearing glasses. While the boy was particularly plain, he seemed clever enough, for he bowed to his headmaster and the staff and returned to his seat. The other girl flushed and followed his example.
"Those are the six champions!" Filius announced after he failed to finish the speech because he was too distracted with his thoughts. "We wish to congratulate you and remind you that this is not only a great honour but a burdensome responsibility. This year you will be taking your NEWTs, don't forget that. One more thing, none of the three additional champions will represent their schools. They have to choose a group or another institution they wish to stand for. Mister Potter said there was only one Hogwarts champion and he represented The Court. You will have a week to make a similar decision and tell any of the teachers."
"The first tasks will take place on the 24th of November. You have less than a month to prepare yourselves, so be wise with your time," Albus advised, smiling rather stiffly. "Now continue eating, for breakfast is the most important meal of the day!"
The tired headmaster sighed. For some reason he felt uneasy; a sense of foreboding distracted his keen mind. Either that or age was making him paranoid - both were possible. The owls began flying into the hall and the old man sighed, the last vestiges of energy leaving his body at the idea of confronting whatever Rita had written that day. When he saw the headline, he craved firewhisky. He would need alcohol to get through the day.
HARRY POTTER:
SAVIOUR IN MORTAL PERIL!
By Rita Skeeter
My dear readers, your eyes did not deceive you! Harry Potter, the boy who saved us from those dark times where You-Know-Who ruled, is in a dangerous situation. Yesterday, the three champions for the Triwizard Tournament were chosen. However, no one expected the Goblet of Fire to choose a fourth champion, but it did... That is right my dear readers, Harry Potter was selected as the fourth competitor!
Through good sources, I know that he did not put his name in the Goblet. Besides, it would take an expert magician to fool such an antique object. The Head of the DMLE, Alastor Moody, and the Minister, Amelia Bones, went in person to investigate. While many may think that it is overkill to have such an important figure investigating what could be a prank, the fact that the sole Heir of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter is in danger is enough to merit such a reaction.
Now, you may be asking yourselves: how does this endanger our hero's life? Allow me to explain this dire situation and even more terrible repercussions. For those who did not read my article against the Tournament being re-instated, I will explain one of the major reasons and how it relates to the last Potter's safety.
The Goblet of Fire is an old and powerful artefact that acts as an impartial judge to select the champions. However, the moment the students puts their names in, they enter a magical contract. That is right, my fellow citizens! The ones that are selected must compete even if they are fatally injured, else lose their magic and maybe even their lives. This means that no competitor is allowed to leave the Tournament under any circumstance. Now, you may be asking yourselves how this affects the boy-who-lived aside from being forced to compete. The answer is simple my dear readers. The Triwizard Tournament is meant for legal adults and Harry Potter is still a minor, which means that the Goblet of Fire may strip him of his magic and reclaim his life even if he does compete.
Now you understand, our saviour will be sentenced whether he competes or if he doesn't.
That is right, my fellow citizens, Harry Potter may lose his magic and life!
What can we do? This is a question that has plagued my mind for hours. How can I help the boy who has sacrificed his family and the opportunity of a happy life for me to live in these times of peace?
Yesterday night, I went to the Ministry in order to try to find an answer, researching the rules about the Triwizard Tournament in hopes of finding a loophole that would protect our protector. Much to my surprise, I found Attorney Andra Blair, legal representative of the Potter Family, in the same situation. Together we tried to find anything that would help the boy. A few hours later, Lord Black and Minister Bones also arrived, after visiting Hogwarts.
Lord Black, Harry Potter’s godfather, suggested a brilliant solution that will save our saviour: emancipation.
That is right, my fellow witches and wizards, Harry Potter will be emancipated at the tender age of fourteen in order to preserve his life. I know you must be relieved, for I almost cried when that astute solution was given. However, with a heavy heart, I must admit that, once again, we have failed our hero. I should have been more insistent with the idea of cancelling the competition, but I allowed all the 'security measures' that were implemented to lull me into a false sense of security.
Now that we know our hero will not lose his life, I must ask, who is responsible for this situation?
Yesterday night, as I mentioned before, Minister Bones and Auror Moody conducted an investigation in the school in order to find the possible culprit, because whoever put our hero's name in the Goblet threatened the only heir of the House of Potter. The Aurors searched all the rooms and reviewed every wand in search of the culprit, but no student or teacher was to blame. How was his name placed in the goblet, then? We still don't know, but the Head of the DMLE, Auror Alastor Moody, is conducting the investigation in person.
I took the liberty of researching what security measures were placed around the dangerous artefact in order to prevent an underage student putting their names in. Much to my horror, there was a single protection: an age line. For those who are not warders or curse-breakers, I will explain why that measure was no better than wet parchment. An age line prevents people of a certain age from entering a place. However, it only does that. An underage student could have asked an older one to put his name in, a piece of parchment could have been levitated in or simply thrown into the Goblet. This was more of a joke to discourage students than to protect them!
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
Who drew this flimsy excuse for protection, you may be asking yourselves and, my dear readers, I am sorry to disappoint you once again with the news. Albus Dumbledore drew the age line himself. That is right! The man we have forgiven over and over again, entrusting our beloved children to his care, did the bare minimum to protect them. This mistake could have cost the life of Harry Potter!
For a long time, Albus Dumbledore has been making one mistake after another: housing trolls in the school, trying to hide petrifications, hampering the education of our children by ignoring the fact that Hogwarts standards had fallen. If that was not enough, he, along with the convicted criminal, Cornelius Fudge, pushed for the Tournament to be reinstated and for the Goblet of Fire to be used, all in the name of tradition. My fellow citizens, I apologize for delivering this news. I have discovered even more information about the Hogwarts Headmaster, the man that also serves as Chief Warlock and Head of the ICW.
Albus Dumbledore is being sued through the ICW under these charges: immoral behaviour, wildlife crime, strict liability, influence peddling, and clientelism.
He requested nesting mothers from the dragon reserve in Romania, Loc Sigur, in order to use the creatures during the first task! That is right, my dear readers! The champions were going to confront dragons that happened to be nesting mothers as a task. Outrageous! The owner of the reserve sued Dumbledore through the ICW for trying to endanger a species that is already in danger, for a simple competition. Nesting mothers are sensitive and the unhatched dragons may perish during the trip; a simple spectacle could have cost the lives of many innocents. The owner of the reserve refused to use his dragons in such a cruel way and condemned the suggestion. The trial took place two weeks ago (read pages 7 to 10 for information about the trial and demand). Now, Magical Britain is in the eye of the whole magical world because they believe the whole country is as cruel as the man who represents it. For what I have discovered, Dumbledore is going to lose his position as Supreme Mugwump of the ICW and there are possibilities of the organization demanding another representative.
We are all kind people, but even kindness has its limits. We cannot keep forgiving Albus Dumbledore for the constant mistakes he makes because, so far, they all have proved his disregard for the lives of our children. I say no more! It is time for the man to step down as headmaster, for he has proved to all of us that what he cares about least is the safety of our offspring.
My dear readers, be ready to read, tomorrow, the interview with the Minister and the Head of the DMLE, along with more information about the Triwizard Tournament. All I can do now is wish good luck to our Saviour. May Mother Magic protect him from danger.
Albus read the article and felt his frustration growing with each word. The woman seemed to have a personal vendetta against him, for the article had portrayed him as some kind of villain, though he admitted with no little amount of embarrassment that she had not uttered a single lie. It was not pleasant to have his mistakes thrown into his face in such a public way.
He saw a ministry owl carrying a familiar envelope and sighed. Although he was the most affected, everyone who had agreed with him now was at a total disadvantage and he was sure that the Wizengamot would be in utter chaos. Not even nine in the morning and he already wished to be in his bed. The man doubted his old body was ready to take all the stress it was going to be subjected to.
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The Court walked towards the great hall for breakfast. Even though they were used to the constant looks, today the scrutiny they were subjected to was enough to put them on edge. Yesterday had been exhausting and it seemed that this day would be no different.
Harry ignored everyone with no more effort than usual, for his mind was centred on important matters. The boy was trying to devise a plan to discover who had dared to submit his name. He had never liked being ordered around and he only did things when he wished to.
However, what worried him the most was the safety of his friends who would also compete. He had not cared if the champions were unprotected against any eventuality because they were not important. Now, though, he would have to contact Ragnok to arrange placing the necessary wards around the whole place where the tasks were going to be, including the new one against every person who carried the Dark Mark. For all he cared, Snape could remain in the dungeons... Also, armour: his new members still didn't own any. How clumsy of him.
The thought of armour led to other ideas that he needed to consider. They needed subtle protection for the tasks, maybe similar to the training gear in design. Something able to protect them against everything from magical attacks to blunt force, impervious and able to maintain body heat. Yes, something that resembled the armour they had worn while fighting during the World Cup, but more subtle. He began writing his requirements, ready to send letters to Ragnok and his elves. The sooner they arrived, the sooner they could be done, and he would have one less thing to worry about.
Harry sighed and looked to the person beside him, Fleur. She was part Veela, powerful with fire but weak against water... Her protective gear would need to be special in order to fit her needs. He would need to ask Penelope, the elf in charge of creating the armour, to research ways of enhancing the protective gear to fit each of the Court's needs. It was good that the female had the patience of a saint because Harry kept asking her to improve their armour in different ways.
"What happened?" asked a curious Fred when he saw a furious Cedric.
"Idiots. They were making a drama about Harry stealing 'Hufflepuff's spotlight'," the prefect spat, a rare sneer on his lips.
"Yeah, Susan punched Zacharias Smith and sent him to the hospital wing. Though I think she only used Harry as an excuse because she's wanted to punch the guy for a long time, not that I blame her," Justin shrugged, taking a seat beside Neville.
"Yeah, a few Gryffindors were complaining about it yesterday," Neville commented.
"They stopped when our lion boy hexed anyone who dared to talk ill about Harry," George exclaimed, a prideful smile playing on his lips.
"What did McGonagall do? They complained to her, right? Or Neville also threatened them?" asked a worried Fleur. Harry noted absently that her English had improved drastically over the short time she had spent with them.
"Nah, they complained alright," Fred chuckled. "Minnie came this morning and took five points from Neville for attacking his classmates."
"Though she awarded him ten points for loyalty and braveness," George added.
"I thought the rules were against attacking students," Theo deadpanned.
"By all means he should have been suspended," Hestia nodded.
"But we all know that McGonagall has a soft spot for Harry and she might have been furious at the idea of students mocking him," Luna shrugged.
"For some reason, few of the school rules apply to him," Terrence sighed dramatically.
"I guess that's one of the perks of being the best student," Viktor commented.
"Even Filch likes him," Adrian groaned, rubbing his face in a comic way.
"Mister Filch is a kind person," hissed a scowling Flora, glaring at the older boy.
"Only because he gave you those little monsters," muttered Blaise low enough not to be heard and incur in the wrath of the youngest twins.
"Yeah, I don't think that Susan has the same invulnerability," Cedric commented, the banter of his friends calming his anger.
"Maybe not, but I doubt the niece of the Minister will be expelled. Besides, I think that Madam Pomfrey will turn a blind eye, along with most of the teachers. Smith was going to get punched sooner or later with that attitude of his," Daphne said, petting one of the cats that Mister Filch had given the twins.
"What happened to him?" asked Justin, signalling Harry.
"He's thinking or at least I believe he is. He won't tell us, but he's angry. He's also worried about the security measures for the champions because he doesn't trust the ones that are meant to keep you safe," Luna shrugged.
Harry heard the conversation his friends were having but decided to ignore them for the moment. There were letters to be sent and plans to be made. Besides, he was tired. Yesterday, true to his predictions, his sister had raved for hours and then broken down in hysterical sobs. It had been painful to watch her so worried and it had taken a long time to reassure her. At last, he had somehow managed to calm the girl. However, seeing the girl's worry had scared away his desire to sleep.
Now he was tired, but he thanked his magic for somehow keeping him alert, at least for now. He knew that he was going to sleep as soon as he had free time. The boy dutifully ignored whatever was happening in the hall, including the speech or the identity of the new champions.
His musings were interrupted by Hedwig, who got tired of being ignored and bit his ear, making him wince. The boy sighed and apologized to his owl, untying the newspaper and handing her the whole platter of bacon, something that a few objected to, which he ignored with practised ease. He read the title and his eyebrows were raised in surprise. The article had completely slipped his mind, though the title was enough to make him nod in approval. Rita was more of a gossip magazine writer than a newspaper journalist, but the woman had talent to play with people's emotions, so he did not complain.
Harry skimmed over the paper and approved of it. For the few hours he had given the woman, she had done a decent job, although it was a shame that Dumbledore's scandal had been relegated to the other sections of the newspaper. Anyways, he expected a cleaner article for tomorrow... Maybe he should give an exclusive interview.
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Early morning, 1st of November, Minister's Office
Amelia Bones finished reading the newspaper with a sigh. Today was going to be even more troublesome than expected, as if yesterday had not been tiring enough... Somehow, Rita had found out what had happened in the school, but the woman was particularly tight-lipped about her source of information. It had been a surprise to find the reporter in the public archive of the Ministry, helping Andra to go over the rules of that stupid Tournament.
All night she had tried to find any kind of loophole that would allow her to cancel the competition without endangering the champions. Of course, good fortune had eluded her and no plan that came to her mind was feasible or remotely effective. It was time to accept the bloody thing would be taking place, even though she had tried so hard to avoid it. However, she now had leverage over the Wizengamot and she was going to use every tool possible to ensure the safety of the children.
"Madam, please eat this before the meeting," Marcus told her, placing down a tray filled with food that was making her mouth water.
"Thank you, Marcus, but would it kill you to call me Amelia?" she asked, a bit miffed at the overly formal young man.
"It may," he answered, concentrating on his own pile of documents. "Miss Blair told me about the demand she is preparing against the Wizengamot," the male said after a few minutes, allowing her to eat in peace.
"I'm sure that will finish scaring off the cowards," the Minister sighed. "Any ideas on how to manage the chaos that we'll have to deal with?"
"A few. What I believe would be the best option to placate the people is removing Dumbledore from his position as headmaster. I'm sure that there are already people claiming his head outside."
"I couldn't agree more, but that sneaky old man has the school's Board of Governors in his pocket, or at least he did when Madam Marchbanks tried to kick him out last year. Dumbledore has too many connections, so I'm not sure if we'll be able to take him out," Amelia explained. "That doesn't mean he's getting out unscathed."
"We can use his blatant irresponsibility as an argument to change the tasks and I'm sure no one will oppose," Marcus smirked. "I already have the documents for Harry's emancipation, it only needs your signature, along with Sirius'."
"Thank you. The sooner we have it done the better. Sirius is about to have a mental breakdown from the stress. Any suggestions for the Tournament?"
"Aside from changing the tasks, there isn't much to do, though I would suggest inviting the families of the foreign students to the Yule Ball. It would be unfair for them to spend the holidays by themselves... Also, I think it would be good to incorporate the different disciplines the school has to offer in the tasks. The last Minister purchased special mirrors to be used in the Tournament. The problem was that he was planning to use them as a way to impress the foreigners. It would be good to use the mirrors to follow each champion up close, but we would need to speak with the owners to see if there is a way of showing what the competitors are doing through them."
"That's an excellent idea, Marcus. It will be easier to plan for tasks so the audience doesn't get bored," the woman congratulated the young man.
"I will contact the owner then... If you forgive my bluntness, I believe that only having students as spectators is not sensible. We should build another stand for people who wish to attend, maybe it would be good to sell tickets in order to avoid being crowded."
"I also considered that, but we have Death Eaters to look out for," Amelia sighed, rejecting the idea.
"I forgot about them... Then maybe we could place the mirrors in strategic places in the Alley, but it would be waste because they would only be used three times. What about scattering the stand with Aurors? They could check every individual for the Dark Mark and ask them to leave their wands behind. It would also be good to have the spectators arrive an hour early and confiscate any kind of edibles and drinks in order to avoid being fooled by the polyjuice," Marcus suggested.
"The idea has merit, but we need to speak with Moody. Though, I'll follow your other suggestion. The families of all the foreign participants will be invited to observe the competition; it would be only fair."
"Indeed, ma'am. Now, I think the inept members of the Wizengamot have waited long enough."
"True. Lead the way," the woman chuckled.