Marauders - Always - Part One

CXLV: The Fourth Champion

Minerva McGonagall had sat at the staff table, watching as Dumbledore called off the names of the champions who would take part in the Triwizard Tournament. She had been one of the only staff members who had fiercely fought against the reinstatement of the tournament. But the vote of McGongall, Pomfrey, and Trelawney was simply not enough to change the result. She struggled to keep herself composed as the names were called and one by one the champions got up from their tables and went into the next room.

It was hard enough when it was Viktor Krum and Fleur Delacour, who she didn't even know.

But it was heart breaking to watch Cedric Diggory get up and walk into the side room - to watch his friend stand on the bench at Hufflepuff table and shout with joy and excitement, not knowing what sort of tasks awaited Cedric. Minnie could remember when Cedric had been small, a first year among the cluster of them in that stairwell coming up from the tiny boats, looking up at her with wide eyes and quite a lot of bushy hair and a grin as wide as the sun. She'd watched Cedric Diggory grow up into the strapping boy he was now - just as she'd done with so many of her students - and she couldn't help but compare him in her mind to Derek Bell.

They were so much alike... and this tournament reminded her so much of Derek's desire to be in the Resistance, the danger of it, the excitement in the boy's face... She wanted to scream at Cedric Diggory to sit down right that instant young man and to stop thinking of signing up for something so dangerous as this Triwizard Tournament, which shouldn't be played - it was too dangerous - too ---

And that was when the Goblet had flashed again.

That was when Minerva McGonagall watched Dumbledore's hand flash out, instinctive, and catch hold of the fourth paper spit forth from the Goblet.

She half stood --

Somehow, she knew in her gut before Dumbledore had even got the paper in his hand exactly whose name would be on it.

How did she know? she wondered later, when it was all over and settled and she was back in her office pacing - how did she know?

Because it was precisely her worst fear.

"Harry Potter?" Dumbledore said, the name tilting into a question on his voice.

McGonagall let out a strangled breath, her hands covering her mouth. 

She watched in a daze as Harry got to his feet - looking so very much like his father as he stumbled on his robe, as he made his way up to the top of the Hall, wobbly, his green eyes wide with fear as he looked at Dumbledore for direction.

Dumbledore stared at Harry, but offered no words, no gesture of reassurance...

McGonagall started to move but Dumbledore shook his head as Harry walked, wobbly on his feet, and disappeared through the door.

"Absolutely not Albus!" McGonagall shouted the moment the door had closed. "Absolutely not!" But there was an explosive amount of noise happening then, too. The Gryffindors had just reacted - all screaming with joy and excitement - all except for Ron and Hermione, who looked dumbfounded and lost as they stared after Harry, that is. And there was Karkaroff and Madame Maxime, shouting in anger and Severus Snape had launched to his feet, eyes darting about the room, his jaw set as he slammed his hands onto the table... But McGonagall rounded the table as quickly as her feet could carry her, rushing to Dumbledore. "Yeh cannae let this happen, Albus!" she shouted as she reached Dumbledore. She felt Snape coming right at her heels, "Yeh cannae expect him --"

"Absolutely... absurd..." Severus was hissing, "That boy is not equipped to be in the Tournament, we both know that he is not quick enough with his wand and his skills are not what they would need to be to even begin to compete against --"