Work Text:
"Harry Potter"
Harry's hopes for a normal school year came crashing down. His heartbeat quickened, he would have to participate in a dangerous tournament, made only for adults, which was literally terminated because of excessive participant's death. This was ridiculous even to his standards. He sat frozen in his chair cursing his luck and thinking about how he will get out of this situation.
Hermione noticed his expression and nudged him on his arm to wake him from his trance. Harry jerked and Hermione motioned him gently to go to the front where Dumbledore was waiting with a stony expression on his face. Harry couldn't decipher from his expression whether he was sad, angry, or confused. It wasn't comforting in any way though. Harry stood up on shaky legs as angry murmurs started to rise from Hufflepuff and Slytherin table. Harry could feel their angry eyes boring holes in his back.
Harry slowly reached the front of the hall where Headmaster Dumbledore handed the parchment with his name on it. Harry looked down at his name and almost did a double-take. His name was not written his handwriting, no, it was not written in anyone's handwriting. His name was written in block letters, definitely to hide whoever it was who entered his name. At this Harry grew angry, every year he had endangered his life for his friends, with his wish, but someone was pushing him into the tournament, someone was controlling him and endangering him.
Instead of going to the antechamber like other champions he turned and walked near the goblet of fire.
"Harry? What are you doing?" Dumbledore asked confused. The murmurs dimmed as students craned their necks to see what the Boy-who-cheated was doing.
If asked later, Harry wouldn't know what prompted him to do what he did. He turned the parchment in front of the goblet, his name facing the goblet, and demanded, "Who? Who entered my name?" Harry asked so angrily and quietly that he almost slipped into parseltongue. His statement started a new wave of murmurs among the students.
The goblet was as old as Hogwarts itself. It had a level of sentience to itself that was why it could be confounded, you cannot confound a non - living object. Its sole purpose was to compare the students based on their talent and power and then select one of them from each school, and the goblet of fire was damn good at its work.
A small spark of fire rose from the goblet and connected with the parchment in Harry's hands, lighting it up in flames. Harry was briefly surprised but let go of the parchment as it flew back into the goblet.
Crouch had done a great work of confounding the goblet and making it believe that he was Harry and that he was from a fourth school hence making Harry the sole participant from that school. But it didn't stop the goblet from showing what had happened.
The fire roared to a good 10 feet and formed a giant circle making Harry stagger a bit till he bumped into Dumbledore who put his left hand on his shoulder to steady him. Harry looked up to see Dumbledore peering curiously at the goblet while pointing his wand at it.
The area inside the fire ring came to life and started showing how Harry's name was entered.
The goblet of fire was in its position in the empty hall. By the lights, it was clear that it was very late at night…
Barty Crouch Jr was mortified. He hadn't known the goblet was capable of this. He hadn't spelled the goblet from restricting it to show what had happened. As soon as he saw the goblet in the hall at night he knew his master's plans will be ruined if the goblet showed that it was him that had entered Harry potter's name.
"Enough! We have a lot of things to discuss about the tournament." Moody's gruff voice boomed in the Hall. Moody raised his wand to stop the goblet but the potions master was quicker. Snape threw a disarming spell and binding spell in the blink of an eye.
"Don't fear if you have nothing to hide Moody." Snape's said in a silky voice.
"Severus?" Dumbledore frowned. Clearly not liking his old friend bonded.
"Nothing to worry about Headmaster. Let's see how Potter's name was added." Snape said curtly.
Dumbledore raised an eyebrow in the direction of the potions master but then nodded and turned back to the goblet.
Moody entered and quickly closed the door behind him.
"Homenum revelio" goblet Moody checked for human presences near him.
Goblet Moody quickly took out the parchment with Harry's name on it and dropped it in the goblet. As expected the goblet flared and was about to throw the ineligible name out of it but Moody was ready.
"Confundus! Imperio!" Moody muttered quickly and made Goblet believe Harry was eligible of participating in the tournament.
The flames dimmed, accepting Harry's name, while Goblet Moody laughed gleefully, "You will return soon my Dark Lord."
In the great hall, everyone gasped and turned to look at Moody and Harry in horror. Dumbledore's eyes burned with fury and his aura flared blue and with a flick of his wand Moody's ropes were replaced by unbreakable chains. For the first time, Harry saw why did Voldemort fear the aged headmaster. With his eyes shining with power and a truly unique and long wand in his hand the headmaster looked like a war veteran, nothing like the gentle headmaster.
"Severus, bring veritaserum. Fawkes" Dumbledore called his trusty phoenix, "take Professor Moody to my office." Fawkes disappeared in a flash with Moody. Dumbledore turned to Minerva, "Minerva, call the Unspeakables, we have to see if Harry has to participate or not." He then turned to all the students and bellowed, "Students, return to your dormitories." He then turned to Harry, "Harry" he said gently, "Sleep. I will announce everything at breakfast tomorrow." He steered Harry towards Hermione and Ron who were waiting for Harry.
Harry went back to his friends and immediately Hermione wrapped him in a tight hug and murmured soothing words in his ears. Ron clapped him on his back and said with a sympathetic and relieved smile, "Everything will be fine Harry. Dumbledore will take care of this mess." Harry nodded and they trotted back to their dormitories.
The night was restless for almost all the students. Harry Potter's name was added without his wishes in a dangerous tournament by none other than the ex- Auror Moody himself for the purposes of resurrecting the dark lord was a lot to take in for their minds. Harry was surprised by the quick actions taken by the headmaster for his safety. It was the first time an adult had ever cared for him, it was the first time he had been saved from a life-threatening situation. Well, he still didn't know if he had to participate or not, but still, it wouldn't be like his second year. Harry had noticed the change in students' bodies from hostile to pity and horror for him and though he didn't need anyone's pity, it was still better than many things.
Headmaster Dumbledore's announcement was like the cherry on top. Headmaster looked tired and exhausted but smiled and made the morning announcement which brought relief to many ears, "Yesterday's events were investigated where Harry Potter's name was added to the goblet in a plot to resurrect Voldemort." Many students gasped at his name and confirmation of what had occurred yesterday. Headmaster continued, "It was later determined that Professor Moody was in reality, polyjuiced Bartimus Crouch Jr., the real professor Moody was found bound in a trunk. He was taken to the infirmary and luckily his condition was nothing too serious." Dumbledore turned toward Harry, "Now, as for the fourth Tri-wizard champion, Harry won't need to participate in the tournament because his name was added by Crouch Jr. and hence if he doesn't compete, Crouch's magic will be at stake, not his." Many people cheered for different reasons. Harry himself laughed in relief that he wouldn't have to compete in the dangerous tournament.
The official announcement was nothing compared to what had happened in the investigation. They had freed Crouch Sr. of the imperious curse and Crouch Sr. had admitted his crimes in regard to freeing his son from Azkaban. Crouch Sr. was arrested and upon questioning Crouch Jr., he had also revealed the location of Voldemort and who was taking care of him – Peter Pettigrew.
As soon as it was confirmed that there was no one except that rat animagus with Voldemort, Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall and the unspeakable had raided the cemetery. Severus had been kept out of this raid due to his spy status but they hadn't choked on anything. Pettigrew was a weak wizard and the Dark lord in his current condition was not capable of more than 5 killing curses. The raid was successful with the capture of both Pettigrew and Voldemort.
A few weeks later Sirius black entered the school like a king and had scared the shit out of students. Sirius had then laughed maniacally and messed up with them before Dumbledore had announced Sirius Black's false imprisonment and his release yesterday. Harry couldn't believe it, his life had changed so much in these few weeks. There was no danger looming over him and now his godfather was free. Now he could live with his godfather legally, not even Dumbledore could force him to go to Dursleys. Sirius had wasted no time in buying a big house at a shore where he planned all the things he and his godson will do the following summer.
A few days later, Voldemort's baby-like form was given Dementor's kiss. Dumbledore didn't say it to anyone but it was the most gruesome punishment that could have been given to Voldemort for his deeds.
Due to his Horcruxes, Voldemort never died but with the main part of his soul in a Dementor's stomach, there was no way to revive Voldemort either. Voldemort lived in fear, because of the Dementor's appetite, till time unknown.
That was how Voldemort died, with minimum but nevertheless, contribution from Harry Potter, and Harry was fine with it. He didn't mind not getting more fame, he had enough of it.
As for the Horcruxes, they remained a mystery to everyone like they always were. Dumbledore didn't give this information to Harry because there was no need for it.
After Dumbledore knew that there was no way for Voldemort to return he started focusing on Hogwarts School. He had needed those ministry positions in the fight against Voldemort but he didn't need them now. The Triwizard championship was an all-time hit in the wizarding world with Cedric Diggory coming out as the winner.
After noticing Harry's grasp on DADA, Dumbledore had taken Harry as his apprentice after his 7th year. Harry had gained mastery in DADA and Transfiguration a mere 1 year after his 7th year. He went to take one in potions too with the help of Professor Slughorn, who Dumbledore had recommended to Harry. Professor Slughorn was all too happy to have Harry Potter as his apprentice.
Harry had no mood of working with the ministry and hence had joined the teaching profession at Hogwarts, effectively nullifying the DADA curse forever. He quickly became the best teacher Hogwarts had ever seen along with Neville Longbottom who had started teaching students under Pomona Sprout's apprenticeship.
All too soon, Dumbledore resigned from his Headmaster's job saying something like, 'the next great adventure' and appointed Harry as his successor. The whole wizarding world had wholly supported this decision and Harry went on to make Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry the most prestigious school again.
With Ginny as his wife, Neville as his colleague, Sirius as godfather, and Ron and Hermione as his best friends Harry couldn't help but remember the point where his life had turned upside down. A simple question that had changed his life.
Xoxox