FINITE | Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire [4]

𝘅𝘅𝘃𝗶𝗶𝗶 | 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗼𝗻

Gwen was sure she had misheard Dumbledore. Beside her, Harry had frozen. There was no applause, no clapping; rather an angry buzzing was beginning to fill the Hall; some people had stood up to look at Harry.

Gwen stared blankly at Harry, trying to understand what had just happened. She remembered what Harry had said... 'I would've done it last night, if it were me...' She wouldn't know if he had left the dorm while everyone was sleeping, and with the Invisibility Cloak, putting his name into the goblet would have been easy in the dead of night.

But how had he got past the Age Line? How had Harry managed to put his name in right under Dumbledore's nose?

Professor McGonagall had now left her seat, and was whispering almost urgently to Professor Dumbledore, who had a whisper of a frown on his face.

'I didn't put my name in,' Harry said suddenly, his face the picture of pure shock as he looked at Gwen, Ron, and Hermione. 'You know that.'

Gwen did know that. She knew Harry, if he'd figured a way to put his name into the Goblet of Fire, he'd have shared it, at least, with them.

'Harry Potter!' Dumbledore now said, his voice still clear, 'Harry! Up here, if you please!'

'Go on,' Gwen whispered, nudging him. 'Harry, go on.'

Harry got to his feet and stumbled slightly. He set off between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables, and every single eye in the Hall was on him. He reached Dumbledore, who looked down at him under his half moon spectacles. Dumbledore did not smile at Harry; he simply urged him into the side chamber.

The door shut behind Harry, and the Hall remained in an astonished silence.

'He's not even seventeen yet!' shouted a Hufflepuff.

'He's a cheat!' shouted another.

The Hall suddenly erupted into angry shouts and uproar, mostly from Hufflepuff and Slytherin. Gwen still hadn't fully registered what had happened, and was staring blankly at Ron and Hermione.

'How did he do it?' Fred hissed at them. 'Did he tell you?'

Gwen simply looked up at him, unable to respond.

When Dumbledore had managed to calm the mutinous crowd, the blue flames in the Goblet of Fire had dissipated. Ludo Bagman had already disappeared into the chamber, looking utterly mystified.

'There we have it,' Dumbledore addressed the Hall. 'Our four champions.'

The Hall buzzed with angry murmurs again.

'Now, while this is most extraordinary,' he went on, 'I must again ask that you cheer each of them and support them in the tasks that they will face. Off to bed, now.'

And he swept out of the room and into the side chamber, with Mr. Crouch, Professor Karkaroff, Madame Maxime, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Snape hot on his heels.