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Harry is sitting with Ron and Hermione in the Great Hall waiting as the Champions are being chosen from each School. Above him, the enchanted ceiling shimmered like a stormy night sky while hundreds of candles floated overhead, their golden light flickering across excited faces. The entire hall buzzed with anticipation. Students whispered eagerly to one another, some placing bets under their breath while others stared at the Goblet of Fire as if it might explode at any moment. Ron was like usual stuffing his mouth with food, and Hermione was reading a book. Fred and George were discussing how to play a prank which made Harry smirk. After everyone has finished eating Dumbledore stood up and drew attention to himself.
„Now dear students it is time to choose the Champions. If you are called please stepp up and go in the chamber just behind us. Now let’s beginn“ He clapped in his Hands and the Goblet’s fire turned from Blue to Red. Soon a Parchment flew out of the Flames which turned blue once again.
He catches the Parchment and read the Name. „The Champion for Beaubaxtons is FLEUR DELANCUR!“
All of Beaubaxtons --and after a few seconds the other schools claimed in -- are clapping and cheering as Fleur stands up and walked to the chamber after being congratulated by her Headmistress.
„She is Gorgeous mate, don’t you think so?“ sighed Ron next to Harry and couldn’t keep his eyes from her and drooled a little.
Harry looked at her and answered „Nah, she isn’t really my type“ Hermione shook experated her Head and muttered boys under her breath. „Mate do you even have eyes? How is she not your type??“
Harry chuckled „My type is more … well forget it, the Goblet is any second now calling out the second name“ He said shrugging his question under the carpet, as he looked at the Slytherin table where is sitting his secret Boyfriend. Even his dad didn’t know about him. His Slytherin catches his eye and winked at him.
The Goblet‘ turned against red and again catches Dumbles the paper. „The Champion for Durmstrang is VICTOR KRUM!“
The entire Hall cheered loudly. Especially the Quidditch fan’s. „That’s my boy“ called his Headmaster out and clapped him on the back. „Bloody Victor KRUM „ screamed Ron in his ear „Merlin Ron! Don‘t scream bloody murder in my ears.“ He said while rubbing his ears. Ron winced „sorry Mate“ he looked apologetic „is fine.“
The silence returned. Heavy. Tense. The flames shifted crimson again, sparks spiraling upward like tiny stars. “The Hogwarts champion is…” Dumbledore paused dramatically. “CEDRIC DIGGORY!”
The Hufflepuff table exploded.
Students screamed and pounded their hands against the tables while Cedric stood, stunned but grinning broadly as he made his way toward the chamber.
“No!” Ron groaned loudly beside Harry. „Why not Angelina? But a Hufflepuff?“
Dumbledore raised his hands for silence, smiling brightly. “Excellent! We now have our three champions. I am certain all of you will support your champions throughout the Tournament and—” He stopped. Every student noticed immediately.
The Goblet of Fire had turned red again. A shocked murmur spread through the hall. Sparks burst violently from the Goblet before another parchment shot into the air. Dumbledore stared at it. For a moment, the entire hall seemed frozen. Then slowly, reverently, Dumbledore read the name.
“Harry Potter.” Silence. Complete silence. Then Dumbledore looked directly at Harry.
“HARRY POTTER!” Dumbledore called loudly. “Come forward, my boy!”
Professor McGonagall hurried toward Dumbledore immediately, whispering urgently into his ear, but Harry barely heard any of it. Cold spread through his body. His Smirk has vanished. Every single person in the Great Hall was staring at him. He could hear whispers already. He looked at the Head table frozen in place and Dumbledore looked indifferent while the rest looked confused and concerned. But not Snape. He looked furious but tried to conceal it. Ron stared at him with wide eyes while Hermione looked confused and uncertain.
Disbelief. Suspicion. Not trust.
Something inside Harry hardened. “Harry Potter!” Dumbledore called again, louder this time. “Come forward at once!” Hermione gave him a small push. “Go on, Harry.” Harry looked at her slowly. “You don’t believe me.” It wasn’t a question. Neither of them spoke.
„Fine.“ He stood up and walked to the Headtable and in the chamber behind them, his thoughts spiraling. He opened the door and find himself in a small bun cozy chamber. In the back was a fireplace where Cedric, Victor, and Fleur stood against the flickering flames their profiles looked unusual, imposing. Krum, a little apart from the others, leaned against the fire side, lost in thought. Cedric had his hands clasped behind his back and was staring into the fire. Fleur turned as Hadrian entered and with a swift flick of her head, tossed her long flowing silver hair back.
“What’s going on?” she said “Do zey need us back in ze ‘all?” She thought he had come with a message. A few seconds after he entered the Chamber he heard hasty steps behind him and soon the door opens to show Ludo Bagman. „A miracle! Incredible.“ Bagman muttered and squeezed his arm painfully— not that Bagman noticed it. “Gentleman…and Lady this is the fourth Champion” Harry gritted his teeth. “Mr Bagman if you would be so friendly to let my arm go?” “Yes, yes of course Mr. Potter” He let Harry go and he rubbed his arm and shot a disgusted look to Bagman behind his back.
“Mr. Bagman iz thiz a wiz? He cannot take part. ‘e is too Young. ‘E is just a little boy” Fleur exclaimed while Krum looked worried, and Cedric was not sure what to made of this situation. The Doors opened again behind Bagman to reveal this time a bigger group of people: Dumbledore closely followed by Mr. Crouch, Professor Karkaroff, Madame Maxime and Professor McGonagall.
“Madame Maxime!” Fleur called out and went to her headmistress. “They say a little boy should complete “
“What do this means Dumly-dorrr?” She asked in a bossy pitch. “I would like to know the same!” Thundered Karkaroff. Hadrian discreetly rolled his eyes. “Two champions for Hogwarts? That is highly unlikely.“ His eyes were cold like ice “C’est impossible. ‘Ogwarts cannot ’ave two champions”
“We trusted the age-line you drew would not let anyone under seventeen complete or even enter. No one ever said anything about two champions for one school. I insist on resubmitting my students names until every school had two champions.“
Madame Maxime glared at him. „Zhat iz not the point ‚ere, Karkaroff. Mr Potter, waz it not, iz underage and ‚az zworn ‚e ‚az nothing to do with thiz. Zertainly ‚e should not be forzed to remain in the Tournament! Are children not preciouz to you Britiz?“
The Heads of the schools argued loudly, their voices overlapping until the small chamber seemed much too cramped for so many angry adults.
“Preposterous!” Karkaroff shouted, his dark eyes narrowing at Dumbledore. “Either the boy cheated, or someone from Hogwarts has found a way to bend the rules in your favour!”
Professor McGonagall looked as though she wanted to hex him.
“Professor Karkaroff,” she said icily, “Mr Potter would never have entered himself into this Tournament.”
Karkaroff scoffed. “Really? Then perhaps you do not know your own student as well as you believe.”
Harry clenched his fists. He was used to people accusing him of things he had never done, but it still stung every single time.
“He is fourteen!” McGonagall snapped. “He nearly died more than once in this school. Why would he willingly enter a deadly competition?”
“Fame,” Karkaroff replied instantly. “The boy has been famous since he was one year old.”
Harry felt every eye in the room turn toward him.
He hated it.
The fame.
The whispers.
The assumptions.
No matter what happened, people always believed he wanted attention.
“I didn’t put my name in the Goblet,” Harry said firmly.
His voice was quiet, but it cut through the argument.
For a moment, everyone fell silent.
Dumbledore stepped forward. “Harry,” he said and gripped his shouldes firmly, “did you ask an older student to put your name into the Goblet for you?”
“No.”
“Did you, in any way, attempt to cross the Age Line?”
“No, sir.”
“Did you ask anyone else to do it?”
“No.”
Dumbledore studied him for several long seconds.
Harry met his gaze evenly.
Finally, Dumbledore nodded once and let go.
“I believe him.”
Karkaroff looked outraged.
“You simply take his word for it?”
“I have known Mr Potter for four years,” Dumbledore replied calmly. “I know when he is telling the truth.”
Moody, who had remained silent until now, suddenly spoke.
“Whether Potter entered himself or not is irrelevant.”
Everyone looked at him.
“The Goblet has made ist choice.”
Silence followed.
Even Karkaroff frowned.
Bagman cleared his throat nervously.
“Er… Alastor is right, actually. The Goblet constitutes a magically binding contract.”
“A contract?” Fleur repeated sharply. “You mean he must compete?”
“Ordinarily…” Bagman began uncertainly.
“Ordinarily?” Madame Maxime interrupted.
Mr Crouch finally spoke, his face pale and stern.
“The rules are clear. The champion whose name comes out of the Goblet is bound to participate or if their parents think that they are to young they can pull him out and he doesn’t have to forfeit his magic. But we’ll that is impossible everyone knows his parents are dead.“
A stunned silence fell over the room.
Harry blinked.
Cedric looked horrified.
Fleur gasped softly.
Even Karkaroff seemed taken aback.
“Then zhere is no choice?” Madame Maxime asked quietly.
Mr Crouch adjusted his tie. “Unless a legal guardian objects to the contract and withdraws the child from the Tournament, Mr Potter is obligated to compete.”
“Legal guardian?” McGonagall repeated sharply.
“Yes,” Crouch said. “A parent or magical guardian may nullify the contract in the case of an underage champion.”
Harry’s stomach dropped.
He knew exactly where this was going.
Everyone in the room did.
“But…” Bagman began awkwardly. “James and Lily Potter are dead.”
The room fell silent once again.
Harry crossed his arms and leaned against the wall and smirked.
He should have been terrified.
Instead, he suddenly felt strangely amused.
Because there was one little detail that absolutely nobody in this room knew.
Not Dumbledore.
Not McGonagall.
Not even Hermione.
The corners of his mouth twitched upward.
“Mr Potter,” Dumbledore said gently, “this is hardly the time to smile.”
“Sorry, Professor.” He apologized but didn’t stop smirking.
Karkaroff narrowed his eyes.
“You seem remarkably calm for a boy who has just been forced into a deadly tournament.”
Harry shrugged.
“Maybe I know something you don’t.”
Everyone stared at him.
“What exactly do you mean by that?” Crouch asked immediately.
Harry merely smiled.
“I think I’d rather wait.”
“Wait for what?” Bagman asked.
Harry looked toward the door.
“For someone.”
Confused glances were exchanged around the room.
Then—
BANG!
The chamber door flew open so violently that it hit the wall.
Every single person jumped.
Professor Snape stormed into the room, his black robes billowing behind him like angry storm clouds.
He looked furious.
No.
He looked murderous and as he would bite everyone’s head off.
“Who,” he hissed, his voice dangerously soft even in yelling, “who dare place my son’s name in the Goblet‘ will die by my hands. Mark my words!”
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Harry had to bite his lip to stop himself from laughing.
Bagman looked as though he might faint.
Karkaroff’s mouth dropped open.
McGonagall looked like she had forgotten how to breathe.
Dumbledore blinked.
Once.
Twice.
“Your… son?” he repeated slowly.
Snape’s dark eyes swept across the room.
“Yes, Headmaster. My son.”
“You cannot possibly mean—”
“I mean exactly what I said.”
Every eye slowly turned toward Harry.
Who was now grinning.
“Oh, this is brilliant,” he muttered.
“Harry?” McGonagall whispered.
Harry gave her an innocent smile.
“Surprise?”
“You are telling me…” Bagman squeaked, “that Harry Potter is your son?”
“Yes.”
“You?”
“Yes.”
“The Boy-Who-Lived?”
Snape glared.
“I fail to see what is difficult to understand.”
“But—you hate each other!”
“We do not.”
“You insult him in class!”
“I insult everyone in class.”
Cedric snorted.
Snape ignored him.
Dumbledore looked genuinely shocked for perhaps the first time in years.
“When exactly were you planning to inform me of this, Severus?”
“When I deemed it necessary.”
“Which apparently is now.”
“Indeed.”
Harry finally burst out laughing.
The entire situation was simply too absurd.
Fleur looked between Harry and Snape.
Then back again.
“Actually…” she said slowly, “now that I look at zem…”
“Yes,” Krum agreed. “nose and cheekbones.”
“They have the same Hair,” Cedric said.
Harry and Snape both groaned.
“Why does everyone always say that?” Harry complained.
“Because it is true,” McGonagall whispered.
Dumbledore suddenly realised something. „But when you are Harry’s father does that mean Lilly was cheating on James?“
Snape actually blushed. „Well you see…. James, Lily and I were actually friends. They couldn’t convince so they asked me to spend my sperm, after they found out James was infertile. At that time I was already in the dark lords ranks, so they oblivated me of being their friend and the Father of Harry. When Harry came as a eleven year old to Gringotts he took an Inheritance test which showed I was his father. When I got there I got cleansed and remembered everything. Since then we are father and son and he lives with me.“
Karkaroff suddenly recovered.
“This changes nothing!”
Every head turned toward him.
“The boy’s name still came out of the Goblet.”
Snape’s eyes became colder than ice.
“He is fourteen.”
“And?”
“And according to Mr Crouch, a Parent can withdraw an underage champion from the contract.”
Understanding slowly dawned on everyone.
Bagman’s eyes widened.
“Oh.”
“Oh indeed,” Snape said silkily.
“You intend to withdraw him?”
“I absolutely do.”
Harry tried—and failed—to hide another grin.
Karkaroff looked outraged.
“You cannot simply remove a champion!”
“I can. And I will.”
“He was chosen!”
“He is a child.”
“He may have cheated!”
Snape took one threatening step forward.
“My son has nearly died every year since he entered this school. Do you honestly think I would willingly allow him to participate in yet another deadly competition?”
Nobody answered.
Because, frankly, that was a very good point.
Snape turned toward Crouch.
“I would like the paperwork immediately.”
“There are forms?” Harry asked.
“There are always forms,” Snape said darkly.
Even in the middle of the chaos, Harry laughed.
Dumbledore pinched the bridge of his nose.
“I believe we may need a longer conversation.”
“Oh, we definitely do,” McGonagall muttered.
Snape folded his arms.
“But first, someone is going to explain exactly how my underage son ended up in a magically binding tournament.”
His voice became dangerously quiet.
“And after that…”
A shiver ran through the room.
“…I am going to find the person responsible.”
Harry looked up at him.
“You’re scary when you’re protective.”
Snape glanced at him.
“I am always scary.”
“Fair point dad.”
For the first time that evening, a genuine smile appeared on Snape’s face.
And everyone in the room looked even more shocked than before.
„Now the forms Crouch?“ Snape lifted an eyebrow and pulled Harry protective in his arms, in which he sunk happily. Crouch scrambled to search in his bag for the forms. „here, here they are professor Snape“ he was stuttering as Snape took the forms and layed his arm on Harry’s shoulders and took him to his chambers.