Dark child

31

"The Hogwarts champion... is Elara Riddle!"

Every head in the Great Hall turned to look at her. Elara stood up, with a dazzling smile. The Slytherins recovered first. They started yelling and cheering as she departed her seat and walked towards the staff table. Other students however, seemed to have been petrified. Eventually, Fred and George Weasley started to cheer, other students either following their lead while laughing historically or scowling at her and whispering in their neighbors' ears. However, almost all the Hufflepuffs were buzzing angrily. Elara knew they were hoping for Cedric Diggory to be chosen as a champion and therefore considered Elara's cheat as an insult to their house.

At the staff table, almost everybody was clapping politely. Some of the teachers were trying to hide their astonishment, but it wasn't a successful attempt. Elara was now right in front of Dumbledore, feeling the weight of all the teachers' stares on her. Elara caught a glimpse of Severus, who had great difficulty keeping a straight face, and Moody, who seemed to like nothing more than ripping her head off. Elara's smile widened even more.

"Well... through the door, Elara," said Dumbledore. He wasn't smiling.
Elara moved off along the teachers' table, and went through the door out of the Great Hall. She found herself in a smaller room, lined with paintings of witches and wizards. A handsome fire was roaring in the fireplace opposite her. The faces in the portraits turned to look at her as she entered. She saw a wizened witch flit out of the frame of her picture and into the one next to it, which contained a wizard with a walrus mustache. The wizened witch started whispering in his ear.

Viktor Krum and Fleur Delacour were grouped around the fire. Krum, hunched-up and brooding, was leaning against the mantelpiece, slightly apart from Fleur. Elara walked towards them and stood with her hands behind her back, staring into the fire. Fleur Delacour looked at Elara and threw back her sheet of long, silvery hair.

"Are you seventeen?" Fleur asked Elara, with a suspicious look on her face.
"Well, not exactly, but the Goblet of Fire chose me regardlessly." Elara said in a would be casual tone.
Before Fleur can reply however, the doors opened again and this time, the feeble shaking shape of Harry was at the doorway. Elara felt like crying. Barty's plan had worked.

"What is it?" Fleur asked Harry. "Do zey want us back in ze Hall?" She thought he had come to deliver a message. Harry just stood there, looking at the three champions. At that point, Ludo Bagman entered the room. He took Harry by the arm and led him forward.

"Extraordinary!" he muttered, squeezing Harry's arm. "Absolutely extraordinary! Gentleman... ladies," he added, approaching the fireside and addressing the three champions. "May I introduce — incredible though it may seem — the fourth Triwizard champion?"

Viktor Krum straightened up. His surly face darkened as he surveyed Harry. Elara looked from Bagman to Harry and back again, trying to look like she was sure she have misheard what Bagman had said. Fleur Delacour, however, tossed her hair, smiling, and said, "Oh, vairy funny joke, Meester Bagman."

"Joke?" Bagman repeated, bewildered. "No, no, not at all! Harry's name just came out of the Goblet of Fire!"
Krum's thick eyebrows contracted slightly. Elara was still looking politely bewildered. Fleur frowned.
"But evidently zair 'as been a mistake," she said contemptuously to Bagman. " 'E cannot compete. 'E is too young. And so is zis girl here." She pointed at Elara.

"Well... it is amazing," said Bagman, rubbing his smooth chin and smiling down at Elara and Harry. "But, as you know, the age restriction was only imposed this year as an extra safety measure. And as their names come out of the goblet... I mean, I don't think there can be any ducking out at this stage... It's down in the rules, you're obliged... Harry and Elara will just have to do the best they —"