The Sun and Her Moon- Remus Lupin

The Blame Game

"What is ze meaning of zis? E' cannot compete! E' is too young!"

The tension in the room was so thick you could cut through it with a knife, as the Beauxbaton's champion angrily pointed to Harry, Madame Maxime standing behind her with supportive hands on her shoulder.

"Harry," Dumbledore began calmly, his eyes locked only on the boy as he ignored the flurry of fighting adults and champions. Harry looked so scared Aveline fought the urge to reach out and hug him. "Did you put your name in the goblet of fire.

He shook his head, "No sir."

"Zis is impossible!" Madam Maxime cried in an angry outburst towards Dumbledore. " 'Ow can a child compete?"

Karkaroff was glaring at Harry as if he the scum of the earth. Aveline glared just as horribly back.

"It seems to me that Hogwarts is attempting to cheat," Karkaroff snapped. "A second champion? This is most irregular."

He was glaring so intensely at Harry that Remus let out a low growl, taking a step forward to block Harry from the man's view .

"Potter has a talent for attracting trouble," Snape snided. "Perhaps he thought this was amusing?"

Aveline couldn't help it anymore. She let out a loud scoff.

"Though Harry is a talented wizard, do you really expect a 14 year old boy could figure out a way to get around Dumbledore's age line?" Aveline snapped, with a pointed look towards Snape and Karkaroff. "Besides look at his face. He's looks as if he's about to throw up. He doesn't want this anymore than you do."

"Certainly he is too young. The facts remains," Dumbledore began, looking around the room, "he has been chosen by the Goblet of Fire..."

"But ze Rules are clear!" Maxime interjected, with a pointed figure towards Dumbledore. "He has not 'ze right to compete!"

Harry was still standing there wide eyed, looking at the adults argue as if he was watching a ping- pong game. Remus had taken a step back, placing a supportive yet protective hand on the boys shoulders. Looking as if he was about ready to fight anyone who tried Harry.

"He can't compete Albus," Remus began, his eyes only focused on the headmaster. "That he putting him in an obscene amount of danger. He's only in fourth year. His fellow champions have 3 years of study on him—"

"We must follow the rules," Karkaroff interrupted with a sneer towards Harry. "The Goblet's decisions are absolute. And yet I cannot help but think that this very convenient... very convenient isn't it?"

His eyes were back glaring towards Harry.

"I didn't put my name in! I don't even want eternal glory. Someone else must've done it!" The boy cried.

"Zis is not fair! Zis is not right!" Fleur cried, looking up to Madame Maxime as if the large woman would fix everything.

Cedric seemed to have a bit more heart to him, looking at Harry's borderline terrified face with heartfelt eyes.

"Someone must have put your name in for you Harry," the boy tried to reason.

"The cup was tampered with," Aveline spit out of her mouth before she could stop herself. "It's the only way this makes sense. Something had to happen before Dumbledore drew the age line—"

"How do you know that?"

The face behind the accusatory voice wasn't Karkaroff or Dumbledore or Snape or even Harry.