Living The Destiny's Path

The Triwizard Tournament

A/N: Okay, so here's chapter ten. I really don't like this chapter b/c i felt like I just copied striaght out of Goblet of Fire. I think this chapter is dull and boring personally, but it had to be done. The next chapter is when I really start to turn away from the books and hit more on the Order and things like that. So just bare with me through this one

31st, 1994

It was getting late. James was still up reading the paper while Lily was engrossed in her latest find at a Muggle book store. Even now, she still loved to read Muggle novels. This one was a thriller novel, near the climax of the story - and Lily was on pins and needles, all curled up on the couch.

So when a scarlet phoenix appeared from no where, Lily nearly had a heart attack. She gave a frightened scream and nearly flew off the couch while James laughed and took the letter that the beautiful phoenix held.

By the time Lily finally registered that it was Fawkes, the magnificent bird had vanished. James was still chuckling when he began to read Dumbledore's letter. Lily glared at him until she noticed that he had suddenly stopped smiling; his eyes had widened and his mouth hung slightly open.

"What's wrong?" Lily asked worriedly. She had come to realize that whenever Dumbledore wrote to them, it usually meant something bad had happened.James looked up at Lily, shock written on his face.

"Harry's name came out of the Goblet of Fire,"Lily eyes widened.

"That can't be possible. He's only fourteen, and there was an Age Line - Dumbledore drew it himself! And how could they let him compete against two other - "

"It says here," James cut her off, looking back at the letter, "that Harry is the fourth champion. The others were Viktor Krum, Fleur Delacour, and Cedric Diggory. Their names came out first, then Harry's. He says that Harry said he didn't put his in the Goblet, and that he believes him. And because 'the Goblet institutes a binding magical contract,' Harry must compete in the tournament."

"No, no," Lily murmured. "Who would put Harry's name in the Goblet?"

"Someone who obviously wants to harm him,"James and Lily's eyes met and they instantly understood one another.

"It's Voldemort, isn't it?" Lily said, her voice shaking.

"Who else could it be?"

"But who could have done it under Dumbledore's - and Moody's - noses?" James raised his eyebrows.

"Oh, no," Lily said in an exasperated tone.

"I know exactly who your thinking of, and it couldn't be him. "How can you be sure?"Lily rolled her eyes.

"James, we've been through this who knows how many times! Snape is not a Death Eater any more! Dumbledore trusts him...it couldn't have been him."

"Then who?"Lily sighed.

"I have no idea."

XXXX

James and Lily arrived on the grounds of Hogwarts at ten o'clock on the morning of November twenty-fourth; the morning of the first task of the Triwizard Tournament.

Lily felt like she would have passed out. Dumbledore had invited them to sit in the staff portion of the stadium that had been set up to watch the first task - probably because he knew they would have come anyway.

They had made it just in time; the whole school was making their way out of the castle. James and Lily searched through the crowd of students until they spotted an old man with a long, white beard.

"Ah, James, Lily," Dumbledore said as they approached.

"How are you?"

"As well as can be expected - all things considered," said Lily.