Always - Welcome to the Wizarding World

Part 13

It had been a week since I started at Hogwarts and it was now time to select the Triwizard Champions. Everyone had gathered in the Great Hall to see the names be selected from the Goblet of Fire. I was sitting next to Zarah, who was still my only real friend in Slytherin and on the other side of me were a few Beauxbatons girls. I hadn't talked to many of them or any of the Durmstrang boys, mostly because I found their accents too difficult to understand, unfortunately! 

Dumbledore entered the Hall with Mr Crouch, Karkaroff and Madame Maxime behind him. Severus, McGonagall, Moody and Filch were all ready and waiting for the champion selection to begin. Dumbledore silenced the Great Hall and dimmed the lights on the walls. 

"Sit down, please" Dumbledore requested and everyone took their seats, the babble had now dulled to an empty silence.

"Now the moment you've all been waiting for. The Champion selection." Dumbledore announced. We watched in silence as he walked over to the Goblet of Fire and placed both of his hands upon it. Red flames arose from inside the Goblet and a slip of paper was produced from the fire. The headmaster caught it expertly in his hand and unfolded it. 

"The Durmstrang champion is Victor Krum!" he announced. Everybody cheered and applauded. Krum was thumped on the chest and patted on the back as he made his way down to Dumbledore to retrieve his name in pride, Dumbledore shaking his hand and congratulating him as he did so. The first champion. Another name came flying from the red flames, written on a blue laced slip of paper. 

"The Beauxbatons champion is Miss Fleur Delacour!" Dumbledore read. I looked to my right to discover that Fleur was sat next to me. Everybody burst into rounds of applause, as did I. 

"Congratulations, Fleur!" I shouted over the cheers of the other Beauxbatons girls.

"Merci!" she replied in shock, standing to retrieve her name and follow Krum into the champions room. All that was left was the Hogwarts champion. I glanced over at Cedric, who was looking desperately towards the Goblet. He really wanted this. The final name floated down into Dumbledore's grasp. He unfolded it, read the name and smiled to himself. 

"And finally, the Hogwarts champion! Mr Cedric Diggory!" My heart leaped in my chest and the applause erupted once more. I couldn't help but stand up for him, cheering and whistling as he walked forward, smiling excitedly, as he went to follow Fleur and Krum.

"Told you!" he mouthed as he took his slip from Dumbledore. I shrugged, still clapping and grinning at him until he left the Hall. Even though I was scared for his life, I was also immensely proud. He would win this thing, I just knew it. He promised me he would, so he will.

"That's it! We have our three champions, but in the end, only one will go down in history. Only one will hoist this chalice of champions, this vessel of victory. The Triwizard cup!" Dumbledore said, gesturing to the great blue chalice situated on the professors' table at the end of the Hall. As everyone stared at it in awe, I noticed Severus watching the Goblet of Fire curiously.

"Headmaster" Severus said, grabbing Dumbledore's attention. Everyone turned around to see blue flames spurting from the Goblet of Fire and sparks flew haphazardly around the room. I looked closely into the fire and saw another slip of paper emerge from the flames. Another name. I was completely bewildered, I believed Cedric to be the final champion. The slip was caught by Dumbledore and he read it quietly in confusion.

"Harry Potter. Harry Potter?" he murmured. My heart jumped to the back of my throat and I felt sick to my stomach. Harry? "Harry Potter!" Dumbledore bellowed. My eyes averted to Harry, who was being shoved out of his seat by Hermione. This was impossible, surely. Harry was underage, he would not have been able to put his name in the Goblet. Dumbledore thrust the slip into a dumbstruck Harry's hand and he took it reluctantly, wandering in confusion down the Hall.

"He's a cheat!" one boy shouted. 

"He's not even seventeen yet!" shouted another. 

"Stinking cheat, Potter!" a girl hollered. 

The idea of Harry cheating somehow hadn't even crossed my mind. All I could think was, how on Earth was Harry going to survive these contests? Dumbledore couldn't allow Harry to compete; he was too young and too inexperienced. It would be ridiculously dangerous, especially for him. And to think, I was worried silly about Ced, he's been through far more years of education than Harry! 

Once Harry had left the room, Dumbledore starting muttering incoherently with Professor McGonagall, Severus and Mr Crouch. Everyone was chattering in baffled tones, including Zarah and I.

"How has that happened? How did Potter manage to put his name in the Goblet?" Zarah questioned. I watched Dumbledore talking with my uncle, a concerned look spread upon his face.

"I don't think he did, Zarah. I can't think how he'd have managed it!" Dumbledore shushed the room once more and Mr Crouch, Moody, Severus and McGonagall rushed after Harry down the hallway.

"There is no need to panic, children. This matter will be sorted soon enough. In the meantime, off to bed, everyone. Chop, chop" Dumbledore ordered, then rushed off with Karkaroff and Maxime on his tail to find Harry. Filch led the rest of the remaining students out of the Hall and I realized that I had to ask Harry's best friends about this. I informed Zarah where I was going and she said she would meet me in the common room. Once I had caught up with Ron and Hermione, I pulled them to one side to get out of the crowd.

"Did either of you guys know about this?" I asked them. Hermione shook her head whilst Ron stared indignantly into space. 

"No, we didn't. Harry didn't tell us anything. I don't see how he could have submitted himself into the tournament anyway, we've both been with him the whole week" Hermione explained. I ran my hands through my hair, puffing out my cheeks. 

"Hermione, Harry could die, you know. This can't be allowed to happen".

"Believe me, Ray, I am well aware of the consequences! But if Harry had entered the tournament, I am absolutely positive that he would have told us, don't you agree, Ron?" Hermione said, tapping his arm. Ron shrugged moodily.

"I know as much as you do, Hermione. You'd think he'd let his best friends know about it though" Ron spat. Hermione raised her eyebrows at him, as did I. Ron wasn't exactly being very courteous about it.  

"Come along, kids. No dawdling in the corridors!" Filch ordered. Hermione grabbed Ron's hand and started pulling him away towards the Gryffindor common room.

"I apologize for Ronald's behavior! I'll be sure to tell you if I know anymore. Oh, and congratulate Cedric for me, I'm sure he's ecstatic!" she shouted over the babble of excited students.

"I will. See you later". 

I barged through the crowds to get back to the Slytherin common room, going over everything in my head. Nothing made sense. How had Harry somehow become mixed up in this deathly competition? Despite what everyone seemed to think, I just knew that he didn't enter this knowingly. The question of "how" was niggling me up all evening, right up until the moment I fell into a dreamless sleep.