Harry Potter: The ghouls awakening

Chapter 101

No one's POV

Harry moved along the teachers table.

Technoblade was sat right at the end.

The two met eyes as Technoblade smiled and gave him a small wave.

He mouthed good luck to the boy as he passed.

What Harry hadn't noticed at the time but three sets of eyes were on him as he walked.

Harry nodded before he went through the door out of the Great Hall, he found himself in a smaller room, lined with paintings of witches and wizards.

A handsome fire was roaring in the fireplace opposite him.

The faces in the portraits looked at him as he entered.

He saw a wizened witch flit out of the frame of her picture into the next one next to it, which contained a wizard with a walrus moustache.

The wizened witch whispered into the wizards ear.

Viktor Krum, Fleur Delacour and Cedric Diggory were grouped around the fire.

They looked impressive, silhouetted against the flames.

Krum, hunched up and brooding, was leaning against the mantlepiece, slightly apart from the other two.

Cedric was standing with his hands behind his back, staring into the fire.

Fleur Delacour looked around when Harry walked in, and threw back her sheet of long, silvery hair.

"What is it?" She said.

"Do zey want us back in ze hall?"

She thought he had come to deliver a message but Harry just shook his head.

There was a sound of scurrying feet behind Harry and Ludo Bagman entered the room.

He took Harry by the arm and led him forwards.

"Extraordinary!" He muttered, squeezing Harry's arm who was glaring slightly at the touch before Ludo turned and addressed the other three.

"Absolutely extraordinary! Gentlemen...lady."

"May I introduce – incredible though it may seem – the fourth Triwizard Champion."

Viktor Krum straightened up, his surly face darkened as he surveyed Harry.

Cedric looked nonplussed, he looked from Bagman to Harry and back again as though sure he must have misheard what Bagman had said.

Fleur Delacour, however, tossed her hair, smiling and spoke.

"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!"

Krums thick eyebrows contracted slightly, Cedric 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."

"Nor does he want to." Harry agreed but it seemed his statement went ignored.

"Well...it is amazing." Bagman said, rubbing his smooth chin and smiling down at Harry.

"But, as you know, the age restriction was only imposed this year as an extra safety measure and as his name's 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 will just have to do the best he –"