HARRY POTTER - AU TRIWIZARD TOURNAMENT

PROLOGUE

H P.O.V:

Harry found himself sitting at the edge of the Black lake, huddled in on himself against the cold. He performed a few warming charms he learnt from Hermione and sighed. He leaned against the tree he was sitting near and closed his eyes.

Once again all his notions for a normal year were blown out of the window. His name came out of the fucking Goblet and now he is forced to compete. Harry was completely tired by all the mess.

He had a really hard time at the Dursleys' not as bad as other times but he was dealing with Peter's escape and another of his near death experiences, inside his room, and his Uncle's beatings, his aunt's shouts and demands and Dudley's bullying whenever he was out of it. They lay off of more excruciating and demanding... things in fear of his godfather but they kept up the abuse just for the heck of it.

He had hard time getting used to eating properly again, even now his eating habits were erratic as they were every year after returning to Hogwarts from the Dursleys'. Ron and Hermione abandoned him thinking that he really put his name in the goblet, along with the whole Gryffindor tower, how they expected him to do it, was beyond him.

He was now a proud student of Hogwarts without a house to support him as he was kicked out and his luggage thrown out of the common room. He was upset, if he was to say anything on the matter.

They say that he wants Glory and that was the reason he did it.

Harry scoffed lightly. 'Glory, my ass.' He thought. 'What glory? Of death?' He skipped breakfast in the light of the events and feeling that he would not be able to stomach it. Even Hagrid, so gentle and trusting of everyone thought he did do it and scolded him. Dumbledore was avoiding him saying that it would be biased if he helped him. He told so after the announcement about the first task and left him to the wolves.

He came to the lake during breakfast and now it was lunch time. 'At least he was exempt from the year end exams.' Harry thought brooding.

It seems Fate did like to screw him over, at least Lady Luck was always on his side.

"Come on Potter, how long will you brood? It would have come down to this anyway. You were alone and will always be alone." He said to himself under his breath. It was true, he was alone all his life, or as far back as he could remember anyway, which was around being two and getting hit on the head by aunt Petunia as he didn't garden properly. He was alone in that house, he was alone when he was at school, he was alone when Dudley bullied him and everyone thought he was going to a school for criminals in the neighborhood. Damn, he was alone when he faced Quirrell and the Basilisk.

He had to get his shit together and work on living through another year like every day in his life. He was so tired of it but was also an expert on it. He got up sighing and walked to the great hall so that he could get something in his stomach, which was grumbling. He walked to the hall and entered only to see everyone staring at him in pin drop silence. Even the people entering the hall stopped to stare. He didn't say anything and walked to the Ravenclaw table and sat down beside Luna.

Gryffindor was out after last night and how they threw him out of the tower, so was Hufflepuff for obvious reasons. Slytherins would rather kill him than let him eat at their table.

"Hello, Harry Potter." Luna said. "How are you this morning?"

"Fine, Luna. Thank you." And still they were staring. Bloody hell.

"Can't a bloke get some food without getting everyone to turn heads?" He said loud enough for the nearby Claws to listen and start eating avoiding looking at him. He was glad that at least Ravenclaw can be considered a neutral territory and they tolerated him.

He decided that he was getting food from the kitchens or Dobby from now onwards. He looked at Teachers' table to see Dumbledore and McGonagall frowning, Sprout huffing, Snape glaring as usual, Hagrid giving pitying glances, Moody looking around with caution and all the other with disapproving looks except Flitwick who was looking at him with thoughtful eyes.

Fleur Delacour, the lady who called him little boy was staring, more like glaring at him with disdain.

Damn. He lost his appetite. He sighed and got up to leave. His back was turned when Luna spoke up. He turned towards her and answered.

"Eat something Harry Potter." Luna said. "You missed breakfast as well. You must be hungry."

"I lost any appetite I had, Luna." He said dryly. "Won't be the first time I don't have a meal or two." He muttered under his breath but the two girls sitting in front of him and Luna heard him anyway.

"Attention seeking little boy. Had to come and grab all of it. The boy-who-lived can't take not being the center of the universe. Stupid little boy, that he is." Harry heard her speak in French. He knew all the pure-bloods could understand, along with her school mates and the few students who knew French. He was angry, not the red burning lash out type of anger but the cold fury he felt since he was a 10 and was forced to... do things by the Dursleys', the type of anger which was destructive more so than the hot one, the type which helped him survive and which he only ever felt towards his relatives.

He was truly and completely done with this shit. He was sure even the teachers could hear what she said and they didn't say anything.

"Careful, Ms. Delacour, of what you speak." He told her, voice and eyes equally cold, face a blank mask with tightness around his eyes. "Words once spoken cannot be taken back and will make you regret so much later."

"You-you understood?" She asked shakily. Harry sneered, a sneer which would win over Snape's. Everyone was looking at him now, including the teachers.

"I am not an illiterate person whatever may the rumors be. I had the good fortune of being proficient enough to speak and understand French since I was five." He replied snidely. "So much a coward, petty, childish woman you are that you took to calling names in a language that you thought I didn't know."

He walked out of the hall head held high and wandered the castle. He reached the kitchens and decided to visit the little buggers and see if they too hated him. He tickled the pear and went inside to see the elves working diligently.