Julia Swan-Black

Chapter 8

Julia entered the side room her face ashen and nervous. She regretted ever doing this now, 'what was I thinking?' she thinks to herself. She found herself in a smaller room lined with portraits that turned to her as she entered. Some looked pitying others with fake smiles and suspicious faces. 

As she walked further into the room she saw a furious fire facing her. Victor Krum, Fleur Delacour and the twins were chattering quietly to each other grouped around said fire. They looked strangely fierce silhouetted around the fire. Krum hunched up and brooding, leaning against the mantle piece, slightly further away from the other three. 

Fleur was the first one to notice her as she walked in, turning to her with a confused expression as she was rubbing her hands together. "What is it? Do zey want us back in ze hall?" Fleur asked obviously assuming she was meant to deliver a message. The other three all turned to her curious. 

"Julia Why are you in here?" Fred asked her straight up, she looked up at him with slight tears in her eyes from the emotional turmoil of the last few hours. "My name came out the cup..." She said honestly. Krum pushed off the mantel as he stress at her, assessing her. "Are you ok?" George asked her concerned as she shakes her head in denial. 

The twins look to each other before approaching her and pulling her into a hug as the other two champions look to each other in question before sighing. "Youze did not wish to compete?" Fleur asked her. "No I do not wish to compete in a death tournament." She says to her with a wince on her face. 

"There isn't a way out now. It is a contract after all. I'll help you though." Krum said kindly but with a blank face acting as if it is nothing. Julia gives him a small smile as Fleur and the twins nod agreeing to help her too. It struck her at this moment how tall all of them actually are, it scared her a little. 

It was at this moment Harry entered the room, Julia looked up at him with slightly teary eyes as he ran to her pulling her into a hug as she cried slightly into his chest from her anxiety of the situation. The other champions looked at Harry unsure. "Harry why are you here?" Krum asked him. Harry looked at them unsure but took a deep breathe before answering. 

"Some psycho has entered me into this death tournament against my will." He answered annoyed, hugging Julia tighter at her sniffles. The twins look frustrated as do the other two champions. "Ok who haz entered two peoplez who do not wish to compete?" Fleur asked annoyed to the room. 

"We will help you too if you wish with the challenges." Fred offers Harry as the other champions agree. Harry nods gratefully as he looks at Julia, stroking her hair slightly as she looks up at him. She wipes her eyes with her arm. "I'm scared..." she whispers as Harry nods agreeing with her as the other champions look uncomfortable. 

There was suddenly a sound of scurrying feet approaching the room. Ludo Bagman enters the room. He took Harry and Julia by the arm as he reaches them, pulling them away from each other. "Extraordinary! Absolutely extraordinary! Gentlemen, Ladies. This Tri-wizard tournament will have - incredible though it may seem - 6 champions. " He says as if pleased by the development. He addresses the other four champions while saying it as they glare at him, annoyed how pleased he was about it. 

Victor Krum straighten up, his face darkening as he looks at Ludo Bagman. "Your pleased at this development. Two underage champions have been entered against their wills. This is illegal they could die with no repercussions to the tournament." Krum said angrily. "Well I'm not pleased at that of course, It is a once in a lifetime sight is all..." He says, backtracking a little. 

Fleur frowned at Bagman, "But evidently zair has been a mistake. They can not compete, they are too young." Fleur says desperately, hoping for a way out for them. "Well ... yes but unfortunately the age restriction was only imposed this year as an extra precaution and isn't actually a law. As their names came out of the goblet weather they willingly entered or not does not matter. I mean their is no ducking out at this stage ... it's down in the rules. Your obliged if you don't compete you could lose your magic.." Ludo answers as the other champions look at the duo sadly. 

The door to the room opens again and a large group enters the room; Headmaster Dumbledore, Mr Crouch, Headmaster Karkaroff, Madame Maxine, Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape. The sound of hundreds of students muttering to each other could be heard before the door shut behind them. "Madame Maxine! Is it true is there no way to safely help Harry and Julia out of the tournament?" Fleur asked desperately to her headmistress. 

Harry and Julia looked at each other happy that these people respected and cared about them so much. Madame Maxime had drawn herself up to her full, considerable height. "Not that I am zware of but I assure youze that we will help them. What is ze meaning of zis Dumbly-dorr?" She said annoyed and concerned at Dumbledore's uncaring behaviour thus far. 

"I'd rather like to know that myself not only do you have two champions." Headmaster Karkaroff starts indicating the twins who entered together. " You also have two champions who were entered against their will and are terrified. What are you going to do about this?" He finishes angrily though it is unsure for what reason exactly.

"Well it is clear that Dumbledore never intended for underage students to enter the tournament. That was the intent of the age line after all." Professor McGonagall said, Attempting to back Dumbledore. He held his hand up to silence her. "Look we know thanks to them solemnly swearing that neither of them put their names in and they didn't ask anyone too either which means who ever entered them most likely had malicious intent. Unfortunately we can not get them out the tournament though we can help them with challenges. For this the two of them will have special allowances and abilities the others will not be given to help them. Does this sound fair?" Dumbledore said. 

The other champions who did not see them back them swear on their magic were surprised and shocked. The other headteachers and judges looked at each other in consideration before they nod at each other. "That seems fair, we can come up with some I'm sure." Mr Crouch says. "Well we should crack on then?" Said Ludo Bagman as the others agreed. 

"Yes, Instructions. The first task is designed to test your daring. So most of you will not be informed what it is. Except Harry and Julia that is. Courage in the face of the unknown is the important quality in a wizard after all. The first task will take place in November on the twenty fourth, in front of the other students and a panel of judges. The champions except from Harry and Julia are not permitted to ask for help of any kind from their teachers to complete the tasks in the tournament." Mr Crouch starts, looking at Dumbledore in question. At his nod he continues. 

"The champions will face the first challenge armed with only their wands. They will receive information about the second task once the first is over. Owing to the demanding and time-consuming nature of the tournament, the champions are exempted from the end-of-year tests. That is all, right Albus?" He says and asks Dumbledore who nods at him as the champions all look at each other. 

It was at this point that Madame Maxine leads Fleur out the room and Headmaster Karkaroff leads Krum out the room. They were obviously heading off to bed. Professor McGonagall led the twins out to bed after they had both hugged duo. After they had left the room Dumbledore turned to Snape before looking at the duo with fake grandfatherly concern. "I will give Professor Snape all the information for the trials to give to you at the appropriate time, I wish you both well." He says to them. 

Professor Snape then leads the duo out the room and to bed agreeing to them the information the next day on Sunday so they could go over alternatives and help for each other. With that the duo headed to the common room and after talking with the other Slytherins for a while a lot of others to help they headed to bed happy with the support. The real test would be the next day.