Chapter Text
The Year Before - James
The floodlights lit up the mountain like a stadium.
Thousands of people lined the barriers around the halfpipe, their cheers echoing through the cold night air as music blasted through the speakers. Banners reading FIRE AND ICE whipped in the wind.
“And here we go, folks!” the announcer, Gideon, boomed over the loudspeakers. “The Fire and Ice Halfpipe Finals are officially underway!”
Snow sprayed as the first rider dropped in, carving hard into the pipe to build speed.
“Starting us off tonight is Kingsley Shacklebolt. Let’s see what he’s got.”
Kingsley launched off the first wall with a clean frontside 540, grabbing the board briefly before setting it down smoothly on the landing.
“Nice opener! Good control, good height.”
He pumped through the pipe and rose again, spinning a backside 540, slightly lower but still clean.
The crowd cheered, releasing the adrenaline they wished they were chasing themselves.
“Solid riding here. Nothing too risky yet.” Gideon said with a chuckle.
“I’ll say Gid, looks like these guys are feeling out the pipe. Maybe they should’ve learned from the girls who started it off with a bang!” Rita, the other announcer, interjected.
Kingsley finished his run with a straight air with a melon grab, floating above the lip before landing and carving out of the pipe.
“Clean run to start the boys’ half pipe!” Gideon’s voice blasted through the speakers as Kingsley awaited his score from the four judges who sat at the end of the pipe.
“Oooh, an 78.4. Looks like old Kingsley should start looking to retire, maybe his prime has passed.” Rita mocked into the speaker.
“I hate her.” Sirius walked up to James’s side as James was changing in his tent.
“Skeeter? Come on, you know she’s bought out.” James looked up to catch the score once more, “though looks like they’re tough scorers.”
“Nothing good ol Potter can’t handle” Lily teased as she and Mary entered the tent.
James threw her his old shirt, as he exclaimed “I could’ve been naked in here woman!”
“Nothing we haven’t seen before.” Mary used the old shirt to whip it around his backside.
“MacDonald, you were insane out there.” Sirius joined her as they made their way to the snack table James’s mom had so kindly made for them. “How does it feel to be the women’s reigning champion?”
“Great! A proper way to go, I think. I racked up enough points for us to take the top three as long as he,” Mary pointed her thumb at James, “doesn’t ruin it.”
“James? Ruin it? Nahh, Mary, he’s been fighting to stay champion for the last three years you two joined.” Peter bragged.
“It’s true.” Kingsley said as he ducked into the tent too, “Finally felt like a competition when you two joined.” He smiled.
“King!” James shot up in his thermal shirt and snow pants to hug the older man. “They’re tough out there.”
“Nah, head wasn’t in the game.” Kingsley shrugged, “Your mom make those?” He asked, pointing to the table laid out with sweet homemade treats.
“Yeah, even made you a to-go box,” James told him as he pointed to the plastic bag next to the table.
“Is your mom single?” Kingsley said through a mouthful of buñuelos.
“She’s married!” James punched him on the arm playfully.
“Happily?” Kingsley’s eyebrow shot up as he ducked to escape another punch.
Just then, they heard Gideon announcing another rider taking his turn. They all turned their attention to the screen in the tent.
“Next up, you know him, you fear him, Barty Crouch Jr!”
James knew he was next; he should be making his way over to the half pipe. But there was something so magnetic about Barty that he couldn’t look away.
The crowd erupted.
Barty rolled to the edge of the halfpipe, bouncing slightly on his board, in his emerald green, black and white team uniform, before pushing forward.
“And here he goes, Crouch, dropping in!”
He carved hard down the wall, building speed before launching off the first hit.
“Big start! Frontside 900 with a mute grab! Look at the height on that!” Gideon exclaimed.
Barty spun cleanly above the lip and stomped the landing, spraying snow as he set up for the next wall.
James really had to leave.
But he couldn’t look away.
“Crouch is already showing why this is his mountain tonight.” Rita’s voice rang through the speakers, snapping James back to consciousness. As he zipped up his jacket, his eyes never left the screen.
Barty drove up the opposite side of the pipe and popped again.
“Backside 720 nice and smooth!” Rita’s voice cheered.
“Looks like the snakes were the ones to buy out Rita this game,” Mary mumbled as James gathered his helmet and board.
The crowd cheered louder as Barty kept his speed.
“Coming into the third wall. Switch 720! Riding switch like it’s nothing!” Gideon’s voice was taunting James as he made his way to the half pipe, eyes never leaving the green blur on ice.
Barty landed slightly forward but held it together, carving back down the pipe.
“Still clean!” Rita all but shouted.
Barty launched again.
“Oh that’s stylish! A method grab way above the lip!” Gideon commented.
The crowd roared as Barty floated before landing.
“Crouch is making this look easy tonight!” Rita laughed. James could’ve sworn she was doing it to get into his head.
Barty pumped once more through the pipe, setting up for the final hit.
“Alright folks, last wall of the run!” Gideon stated.
Barty shot into the air as James took up his designated spot.
“Cab 900 attempt-!” Rita’s voice abruptly stopped.
Barty completed the rotation but landed slightly off balance, his hand briefly brushing the snow before he regained control and rode it out.
James could’ve laughed. They still had a chance. He could get them first place.
“Ooh! little hand drag there!” Gideon said. “That might cost him a couple points, but he saves it!”
Barty carved out of the pipe, shaking his head as the crowd still cheered wildly.
“That is still a huge run from Crouch! Big amplitude, clean spins, tons of style. Judges are definitely going to like that, even with the small slip at the end, Team Frost Vipers still has a shot at first place.”
A moment passed as the score flashed onto the screen.
“And the judges give him… 86.2!” Gideon announced over the loud speakers.
The crowd exploded again.
“That puts Crouch straight into first place here at Fire and Ice!”
Barty was quickly engulfed by his friends. Marlene McKinnon stood a little behind them, board tucked under her arm, clapping along with the rest, smiling.
“Alright, now this next rider… you’ve been hearing about him all week. Small town kid. Local mountain legend. Earlier, we saw his teammate, Mary MacDonald, absolutely dominate the women’s side of the competition-” Gideon hyped up the crowd.
“Yes, but Crouch is definitely a hard rider to top.” Rita interjected, “Outperforming him is nearly impossible.”
James could almost hear the cackling from his friends at the innuendo they probably picked up and chuckled to himself.
A pause.
James took a moment to look out into the half pipe, the crowd (where he saw his friends waving at him), and took his spot on the edge.
“Nothing is impossible,” he muttered more to himself, “No fear.” He said as he dropped his goggles over his eyes.
“Give it up for James Potter!” he heard Gideon’s voice announce, and the crowd in the distance.
James rolled to the edge of the halfpipe, board balanced under his boots. His teammate, Mary, the only one allowed this close, shouted from the sidelines, banging her board against the snow.
“Let’s go, Potter!”
He dropped in.
“And Potter wastes no time! Huge speed right out of the gate!” Gideon said. “First wall and a massive backside 900!”
James launched high above the lip of the pipe, spinning cleanly before stomping the landing. This. This is what he was meant to do.
“Oh that’s smooth!” Gideon’s voice a far away muffled sound. All James heard was the wind zooming past him.
He carved into the next wall.
“Frontside 1080! Look at the height on that! This kid is absolutely flying tonight!”
The crowd roared louder with every hit.
“Another clean landing, Potter is making this look easy! Remember, folks, he’s going up against some of the biggest corporate teams in snowboarding right now. But tonight? Tonight the hometown hero is holding his own!” Gideon shouted into the microphone.
Final wall.
“Here it comes..last trick of the run, and he hits us with a switch 1080!”
James spun fast, board slicing through the air only thing going through his brain was that he needed to land this perfectly or else Mary would have his head.
“HE STICKS IT!” Gideon shouts.
The mountain exploded with cheers.
“What a run from Potter! That’s the kind of riding that makes people believe this kid might be the next big thing!”
James coasted out of the pipe, laughing as his friends tackled him in celebration.
“That’s what im talking about!” Peter all but tackles him.
But across the slope, the opposing team stood silent.
Watching.
Waiting.
Rita’s voice came back over the speakers, “And the judges give him a 87.6.”
“That means–” Mary started to say while slapping his arm.
“That’s right folks! That puts The Alpine Lions IN FIRST PLACE for the first run in Fire and Ice!” Gideon screamed.
Mary tackled him with cheek kisses. As they all celebrated.
“And now we head into round two… where the tricks get bigger, the risks get higher… and the Fire and Ice rivalry really begins.”
The energy in the air shifted.
James pushed back toward the drop-in to wait for his second run.
“You can feel the tension building,” Rita continued. “Potter’s sitting near the top of the leaderboard right now, but the competition is stacking up huge scores. If he wants to stay in this, he’s going to have to go even bigger.”
Riders stood in a staggered line along the ridge above the pipe, boards planted in the snow as they watched the next competitor finish below.
Cold wind swept across the mountain, carrying the distant roar of the crowd up toward them.
James bounced lightly on his board, trying to keep his legs loose as another rider dropped in. The halfpipe lights glared against the snow, turning the whole thing into a glowing tunnel of ice.
Next to him, Barty Crouch Jr. adjusted the strap of his gloves.
They’d been lined up in drop order, Barty second to last.
James last.
Barty glanced sideways, amber goggles hugged his helmet, reflecting the halfpipe below.
“Nice run,” he said casually.
James didn’t look at him.
“Thanks.”
Barty tilted his head slightly, watching the rider below launch a trick.
“Didn’t expect that kind of amplitude from a… hometown rider.”
James finally turned toward him.
Barty’s tone was light. Friendly, even.
But the corner of his mouth twitched.
“Guess riding the same pipe your whole life has its advantages.” Barty quipped.
James huffed a quiet laugh.
“Guess having a million-dollar training facility doesn’t buy style.”
Barty’s grin sharpened as he turned to face James,
“Oh, I’ve got style.”
The crowd roared as the rider below landed, breaking their staring contest, which they apparently had started.
Barty shifted his board toward the drop-in.
“Just don’t mistake a good first run for winning the whole thing, Potter.”
James watched him for a second.
Then shrugged.
“Wouldn’t dream of it.”
Below them, the rider finished their run and carved out of the pipe.
The starter raised a flag.
“Crouch! You’re up!”
Barty slid forward toward the edge of the drop.
Right before he pushed off, he glanced back over his shoulder and flashed James a wink before dropping his goggles,
“Try to keep up.” Barty slid down.
James hated him.
And when Barty scored a 93.7.
James hated him even more.
James knew that the only way to beat him was to attempt a trick he’d been trying to perfect. He’d only successfully landed it once in practice, but he knew he could do it. He had to. He wasn’t going to let him win.
“Nothing is impossible. No fear.” James huffed.
James adjusted his goggles and rolled forward.
“Dropping in, Potter’s second run!” Gideon roared.
He exploded into the pipe with even more speed.
“Whoa! Look at that launch! Massive frontside 1080 to start!”
He landed, carving hard into the next wall. James felt good.
“Is that a double cork attempt? Huge amplitude!”
The crowd gasped as he soared higher than before.
“Clean landing again! Potter is pushing it tonight!”
He pumped through the pipe, building speed. This was it. It was time.
“Alright, folks, this next hit, this is where things get dangerous. He’s lining up for something big. A trick of his own, the Marauder, as he calls it.”
James launched.
Higher.
Faster.
“Triple cork attempt–”
For a split second, everything looked perfect.
Then…
“Oh no!” Rita shrieked.
His board clipped the lip of the pipe.
James came down hard, spinning off before slamming into the icy wall, knocking all the air from his lungs, leaving him with a ringing in his ears and a searing pain in his shoulder.
The sound echoed through the mountain.
The crowd fell silent.
“…Potter is down.” Gideon all but muttered.
Snow patrollers were already racing toward the pipe as Gideon’s voice dropped from excitement to concern.
“We’re going to pause the competition here for a moment…”
At the bottom of the pipe, James didn’t move.
And suddenly, Fire and Ice didn’t feel like a game anymore.
The only thing he could think was that he hated Barty Crouch Jr.