Hunter at Hogwarts

Chapter 18: Harry

I stood in the common room, Sirius's letter was still in my hands. He was coming. My Godfather was coming. But how? He was a fugitive. Despite being innocent, in the eyes of the ministry, he was a wizard who murdered thirteen people at once. If he was caught....No. I couldn't think about that. I didn't want to think about that.

My heart pounded miserably as finally the last student left the common room. A crackling fire caused an eerie glow of suspense within the darkness of the night. Checking my watch, I spun towards the window. It was time, he should be here...

"Harry!" A soft croak made me jump. I spun around, but I was alone. Nobody was there. "Harry..." The voice echoed from the fireplace. I held my breath.

Moulded from the amber flames was a face, but not just any face. It was Sirius. I opened my mouth to ask him how he got there, but my Godfather interrupted my surprise. "Listen, Harry, I don't have much time, but I need to know. Did you or did you not put your name in the Goblet of Fire?" His voice was hard but quiet. I bent down towards the fireplace, still stammering in shock. "No..."

Sirius continued quickly. "And what about that other girl?"
"Ami? I don't think so..." I answered. The heat from the flames nibbled my cheeks and singed my clothes, but I ignored it. Flatly, Sirius muttered to himself as though he didn't believe me. However, I was telling the truth. The shock on her face that day was fresh and real. Even still, I then remembered how she'd been very tactful with Jackson and Grace during the feast. If they really had forgotten to cover up their dark marks, Ami had been very recoursful, not to mention believable.

"Now Harry, you need to listen to me. It wasn't an accident your name flew out of the Goblet. People die in this tournament!" Sirius hissed. I shrivelled back. Trembling, I cleared the soot out of my glasses. Fear pounded along my bloodline. Why couldn't I have just one normal year at Hogwarts!?! "No, Sirius, I'm not ready!" I whispered as tears prickled my eyes. "Of course you're not my boy, but you're not safe at the moment. The enemy is inside the castle!"

I frowned. "But Sirius..."

Sirius Black burst out. "Harry, your Professor is a Death Eater, and a good one, Professor Snape." I already knew that one, but Sirius didn't stop. "I researched those two visiting schools, and do you know what I found? Nothing. There are no magical books on a Camp Half-Blood and a Camp Jupiter. Information the school and parents have been fed is fake. The students, do they same weird?" Part of me already knew the answer. For some reason, every snippet of me wanted to tell Sirius how much fun they were to be with. And how they could do cool tricks and everything. But then Hermione's words kick in, and I know she is never wrong.

"Yes."

"Well there you are Harry. This year, the castle is running with strangers, nobody is above suspicion..." I didn't want to make him think I was mad, but the information slipped out anyway. "Sirius, that dream I was telling you about, they mentioned a name."
"And what was that my boy?"
"Ami."

Silence filled the grate, before finally Sirius encouraged me to continue. "Go on..." I bit my lip.

"The three men in the room: one was Pettigrew, one was Voldemort, the other I have no idea, but I'm pretty sure he was the guy I saw who made the dark mark at the Quidditch World Cup. They were plotting to kill something. Me. However, they were worried about the tournament, said that the camps coming to Hogwarts could prevent their plan from working. They called them Demigod wizards or something. However, they were extremely worried about this one girl. Ami. Voldemort had even made a partnership with this woman so they could take her out. It was the woman's idea for her to be entered into the tournament, and for her name to be picked out. Said it was essential. They wanted her to win or something, get the cup..."

More silence. Suddenly, Sirius's face darkened and he snapped. "Harry, this is serious. You need to be careful. I don't know who the enemy is, but they are close. Whoever entered you into the tournament wants you dead..."

THUMP!

A large bash echoed from in the corner, by the Fat Lady's portrait. "Keep your friends close Harry, but nobody can see me..." Sprinting into the corner, I noticed a stack of books that had fallen onto the floorboards. However, that wasn't the most alarming thing. The Fat Lady was stood in her portrait, annoyed. "Seriously, another student? How do you get around without being caught?" My heart grew weary in my chest. "What do you mean? Was somebody just here?" I swallowed deeply. The Fat Lady nodded. "Oh yes, just left in fact."
"Who?"
"If I knew everybody's name who walks through the door..."
"Fine, what did they look like?" I asked desperately. The portrait shrugged. "I don't know, some girl."

In that case, it could have been half of Hogwarts. Whoever it was, heard my conversation with Sirius. I darted back to the fireplace, but Sirius was gone, leaving no trace that he'd ever been there.

"Who were you talking to?" I jumped in shock. Ron stood by the stairs in his pyjamas, eyebrows raised. In all the commotion with the Fat Lady, I hadn't even heard him come downstairs. With no excuse that flung to my brain, I replied stupidly with, "What?"
Ron sighed bitterly "I heard talking." Unfortunately, he hadn't been civil with me since my name was picked out of the Goblet. He assumed I put it in there and never helped him do the same.

He should've known me better.
He should've trusted me better.

"Must have been your imagination. Wouldn't be the first time, would it?" I spat. Perhaps that was a bit harsh. However, I was still angry at him for not believing me. I thought he was my best friend. The one good thing in my life. Maybe I was wrong. Sneering, Ron said, "Suppose you were just practicing for ya next interview." Yawning, Ron stamped back to bed. Seeing him disappear from view, I sighed.

It stung for my best friend to talk with me like that.

But I shouldn't focus on that. First, I had to survive a deadly contest designed to kill me. Oh, and then catch the girl who overheard my conversation. I would have gambled ten philosopher stones on the guess that it was Ami.