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It was a good year so far.
Harry had a boyfriend shortly after the year started. The Hufflepuff Seeker that he’d met last year, Cedric Diggory, had actually asked him out. Him. Harry said yes because Cedric was hot and nice and wasn’t asking Harry out because of his fame like the others who’d asked him out before.
And for once, it looked as though Harry could enjoy not being at the center of attention. They were hosting the Triwizard Tournament and only those 17 and older could enter. Honestly, even if Harry could enter, he’s not entirely sure he would. He already had enough money and didn’t need the prize money and he definitely had more fame than he wanted and knew what to do with. He knew Cedric was thinking about entering though. And he would be happy to cheer on his boyfriend if he was chosen as the Hogwarts champion.
~~~~
Everything went to shit so fast.
The champions were chosen and each school was cheering on those chosen.
Viktor Krum for Durmstrang. Fleur Delacour for Beauxbatons. Cedric Diggory for Hogwarts.
Cedric was chosen and he flashed a smile at Harry when his name was read out before he disappeared into the small room off to the side where the other two champions had gone.
And then the Goblet of Fire’s flames turned red again.
Another name was spit out.
“Harry Potter.”
The next few minutes passed by in a panicked blur. He could hear the murmur of students talking about how he cheated to somehow put his name in the Goblet and get chosen. He was sent to the same room as the other champions. He walked in in a daze, holding the piece of parchment that had his name on it. He couldn’t understand what was happening.
Once in the room, he vaguely saw Fleur, Krum, and Cedric through his panic, but didn’t really respond until Cedric placed his hands on Harry’s shoulders, grounding him.
“Hey, Harry, I need to breathe for me.”
Cedric talked him out of his panic, Harry noting the concerned looks on both Fleur and Krum’s faces. Then he focused on Cedric’s worried face, relief blooming there when he saw Harry’s steady gaze locked on him.
“You back with me?”
Harry nodded before rasping out a response. “Yeah, yeah I am.”
“Ok, now what are you doing here? What happened?”
“I- the- my name came out of the Goblet,” Harry said, holding up the bit of parchment containing his name.
“What?” Fleur asked, confused. “But thair can only be one champion from each of ze schools!”
“I don’t understand, I never entered my name, I swear!” Harry said, pleading for Cedric to at least believe him.
“Harry, I know you didn’t. You wouldn’t have been able to cross Dumbledore’s age line,” Cedric said, calming Harry’s fears by believing him readily without asking questions. “The only thing I’m wondering is who did this and why?”
That’s when sound filled the small room as Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, Crouch, Bagman, Karkaroff, Madam Maxime, and Mad-Eye Moody all filed into the room, Karkaroff and Maxime complaining about how Hogwarts now had two champions. Harry felt himself back up until he was next to Cedric, who straightened up and placed himself just barely in front of his boyfriend as a barrier between him and the hoard of adults. Especially the angry ones.
“Cedric, would you mind moving out of the way so that we can talk to Harry?” Dumbledore asked, but Cedric just stood there, a barrier between Harry and the others.
“I think you can talk to Harry just fine with me right here.”
Dumbledore just nodded and asked Harry what he knew about his name coming out of the Goblet and whether or not he put his name in or asked an older student to do so. Harry’s answer to all of it was a resounding “no”, which the other headmasters didn’t seem to believe. Krum and Fleur at least seemed to believe Harry, and Cedric surely did and never wavered from his spot. He tensed when some of the adults present started yelling that Harry was surely lying.
Then Mad-Eye Moody put them in their place by reminding them of the magic required to get around the magic of both the Goblet and Dumbledore to enter his name. That at least seemed to quiet Karkaroff and Maxime. Crouch then announced that Harry would have to compete despite how young he was because the Goblet created some sort of magical contract or something. Harry was honestly zoning out a little by that point.
They all separated and headed off to bed, Cedric walking Harry to Gryffindor tower and kissing him goodnight, giving him an extra kiss because of how shaken Harry was and how worried he was to enter the common room.
~~~~
Harry was not having a good day.
Nearly the whole of Gryffindor seemed to think Harry had put his name into the Goblet, including Ron. The only ones who seemed to believe him were Hermione, Neville, Ginny, and the twins. At least he had some friends on his side.
Then there were those buttons.
Luckily, Cedric had gotten the rest of Hufflepuff to leave him alone. Once he’d actually gotten mad and yelled, they seemed to listen to him. Their relationship wasn’t common knowledge yet, but their friendship that’d started the year prior was.
Cedric was with Harry in an abandoned classroom a little later in the week. It was a way for them to have some time together in private since their privacy seemed to vanish even more with them being champions for the Triwizard Tournament.
“Has Ron spoken to you yet?” Cedric asked as the two sat on a transfigured sofa. Harry was leaning into Cedric’s side and soaking up the warmth and comfort. Harry snorted.
“No. He’s convinced I figured out a way to enter myself and he’s mad I didn’t tell him how,” Harry replied bitterly. He’d been sure that Ron would’ve believed him with how long they’d been friends and how much he knew that Harry hated the attention he already had.
“I’m sure he’ll come around.”
“Maybe, but he’s still being a right prat right now.”
Cedric leaned in and kissed him on the top of the head. “It could be worse.”
Harry just looked at Cedric. “Yeah, we could both be in a tournament that might kill us with myself being entered against my will. Oh wait… that’s already happened.”
Cedric rolled his eyes and leveled him with a glare. “You know what I mean.”
“Yeah I know. I’m sorry I’m being a bit of a prat.”
“You’re entitled with how horrible this all is.”
“Still. And thanks for believing in me and being here for me.”
“Harry, I’m your boyfriend. That’s sort of in the description.”
Harry actually laughed a bit at that. It felt like the first time he’d laughed in over a week. Cedric seemed to beam at him.
Hopefully Ron would come to his senses soon, but if he didn’t at least Harry had a number of friends and a wonderful boyfriend who believed him.