Annabeth Chase the Triwizard Champion

Chapter Thirteen

She shall protect the boy from a sabotage spree. I know you will believe him tonight, but make sure he knows, too.

"What is it?" Fleur asked, tossing her hair again. Annabeth wondered how much time she spent on it in the morning. "Do zey want us back in ze hall?"

Harry just stood there, gaping.

"Extraordinary!" Bagman burst in through the door, grabbing Harry's arm. "Absolutely extraordinary! Gentleman, ladies, may I introduce, incredible as it may seem, the fourth triwizard champion?"

It was silent for a moment. Then Fleur said, "oh, very funny joke, meester bagman."

"Joke?" Bagman said, looking bewildered. No, no, not at all! Harry's name just came out of the goblet of fire!"

Annabeth pushed off the wall, her mind buzzing, thoughts whirling around her head almost too fast to comprehend them. The fourth triwizard champion. Harry was in the triwizard tournament. Why? Did he make it past the age line somehow? Did an older student submit his name for him?

But that didn't make sense. Harry was a Gryffindor, and a famous one at that, but he never looked like he enjoyed the attention. He usually looked downright uncomfortable by it, in fact. So why would he do something to draw even more attention to himself?

This was the start of the sabotage spree. Someone must have entered Harry's name, maybe under a different school, without anyone's knowledge. Hecate had said so long ago that there was a plot to bring Voldemort back. This had to be a part of it somehow. To do what? Get Harry killed?

Voldemort must hate Harry for causing his downfall, and people had died before in this tournament. The whole point of the age line was because students under seventeen didn't know enough magic to have a safe chance.

No, that didn't make sense either. According to Vera and Freddie, Harry had survived dangerous things time and time again. He had fought off an insanely oversized basilisk and won when he was twelve, with no training and a sword that was most likely not the right fit for him. And that and all the threats from the previous years had been orchestrated by Voldemort, so the dark wizard must know that Harry was hard to kill.

So why had Harry been entered?

The door banged open before Annabeth could continue her train of thought. A whole crowd of people came in, Dumbledore, Maxime, Karkaroff, Moody, Crouch, Mcgonagall, and Snape, and most of them looked pissed.

"Madam Maxime!" Fleur exclaimed, rushing over to her headmistress. "They are saying that this little boy is to compete also!"

Madam Maxime stood tall, and though Annabeth knew realistically that the woman wasn't hostile, a part of her was still uncomfortable.

"What is the meaning of this, Dumbbly-dor?" Maxime said seriously.

"I'd rather like to know that myself, Dumbledore," Kakaroff said. His small smile didn't match the coldness of his eyes. "Two Hogwarts champions? I don't remember anyone telling me the host school is allowed two champions. Or have I not read the rules carefully enough?"

The two foreigners continued hurtling accusations at Dumbledore, taking turns, until Snape intervened.

"It's no one's fault but Potter's, Karkaroff," he said softly. "Don't go blaming Dumbledore for Potter's determination to break rules. He has been crossing lines ever since he arrived here—"

"Thank you, Severus," Dumbledore interrupted. Snape obediently went quiet. Dumbledore looked at Harry, peering down at him through his spectacles. "Did you put your name in the Goblet of Fire, Harry?" he asked calmly.