The Fourth Champion

"Harry, what are you doing here?" asked Cedric in confusion as the younger boy entered the room. "Do they want us to return to the Great Hall?"

Harry didn't answer. His eyes were burning with fury at being tricked into the tournament and magic was leaking off of him in waves, the aura palpable. How had someone managed to enter his name into something as ancient as the Goblet of Fire? His mind was working at a furious pace, thinking about any spell that could achieve this. Looking out of the window, he wondered who would want him here and why. He mused that the reason why was obvious. Harry did have a lot of enemies and this was an outstanding way to get rid of him. He didn't know what the other two tasks were, but the dragon would surely have a field day with him. What a great assassination attempt! Whoever did this didn't even need to lift their wand!

But did he have to compete?

Yes, he had felt the twitch in his magic after his name had been called, signifying that he was under a very powerful magical contract. Harry paled slightly. The magical contract for the tournament was meant for of age witches and wizards, which meant that should he compete, he would be breaking the terms of the contract. At the same time, should he not compete, he would be again breaking the terms of the contract. Who was the idiot that decided to bring binding magical contracts into this? But one thing was certain – unless he figured out a way, he'd lose his magic and if that happened, it wouldn't be long before he died. He could not let that happen. What to do? He snapped out of his musings when he heard raised voices, but he didn't turn towards them.

"– we were under the impression that your Age Line would keep out younger contestants, Dumbledore," said Karkaroff, his steely smile still in place, though his eyes were colder than ever. "Otherwise, we would, of course, have brought along a wider selection of candidates from our own schools."

"It's no one's fault but Potter's, Karkaroff," said Snape softly. His black eyes were alight with malice. "Don't go blaming Dumbledore for Potter's determination to break rules. He has been crossing lines ever since he arrived here, his arrogance clearly —"

"Thank you, Severus," said Dumbledore firmly. He turned towards the boy who still had his back turned towards them all. Before anyone could say anything more, the door to the room burst open and a furious looking Sirius Black, the Minister of Magic strode through.

"I think I need to hear an explanation for this," he said calmly, but his face was still filled with fury.

"You can ask that reprobate of that godson of yours," said Snape snidely, sneering at Sirius. "Clearly he thinks the rules don't apply to him as always. Arrogant brat, just like his father -"

"Not one more word, Snape, or you and I will be clashing wands," said Sirius dangerously. "Harry is not responsible for this and I want to know how someone hoodwinked the Goblet of Fire!"

"And where is the evidence to support that claim?" snapped Madam Maxime, throwing her huge hands in the air. "He's obviously lying if he says he didn't put it in himself!"

"I don't lie, Madam Maxime," said Harry sharply, turning around and fixing a cold look at her. "Would you believe me if I told you that it was not me who put my name in the Goblet of Fire?"

"How else would the goblet have chosen you?" asked Madam Maxime, obviously not believing him.

"It is disgraceful," Karkaroff said loftily, his eyes displaying the glee he felt, "that the godson of the British Minister of Magic and the Boy-Who-Lived himself thought it was fine to cheat his way into the tournament. Deplorable behaviour –"

"I don't need a Death Eater to tell my son what is deplorable, Karkaroff," Sirius retorted darkly. "Watch your tongue."

"How dare you?" shouted Karkaroff. "I am –"

"Do you recall the battle of Bristol? I seem to remember James and I defeating you once before. I may not have my best friend with me anymore, but I assure you, his son is more than up to the task of taking his place. Know who you are talking to, Karkaroff."

Karkaroff glared at Sirius but gulped nevertheless when he saw the mad glint in those haunted grey eyes, reminding him of another member of the Minister's infamous family – his notorious cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange.

"Sirius, that does not answer how Harry's name came out of the Goblet in the first place," said Dumbledore quietly.

"He must have put it in himself!" cried Madam Maxime. "Really, what nonsense is this? This is the Triwizard Tournament! The glory, the prize money – it is a chance people would die for!"

"Maybe that is exactly what it is about; someone hoping Harry would die for it," Remus Lupin added quietly. "It is a binding magical contract; has anyone forgotten that?"

"Remus is right," said Sirius, frustration clear on his face. "It is magically binding with no way out. And please, Madam Maxime. What glory do you speak of? We are talking about Harry Potter, the name which every witch or wizard knows of all over the world. And prize money? He's the scion of one of the richest families in our world. I'm pretty sure he has more than twenty-five thousand Galleons in his pocket right now! If he says that he did not put his name in, it means that it wasn't him! Harry may be talented, but I honestly do not doubt Dumbledore's skill in drawing an Age Line!"

"You are all forgetting a very important detail," said Harry quietly.

"What is that, Harry?" asked Remus curiously.

"I am fourteen years old. I may be a seventh-year student, but I am still fourteen years old."

"What does that have to do with anything?" asked Ludo Bagman, looking confused.

"Oh, Mother Magic, have mercy!" moaned Sirius, covering his face with his hands. "The contract is for only those witches and wizards who are of age. Harry is fourteen, not seventeen."

"The second I step into that arena for the first task, I would be in violation of the contract," Harry explained, turning his back on them all again as he stared into the black emptiness outside the window. "And if I don't participate, I would violate the contract. I am a dead man walking, bound by the contract of the Goblet of Fire. I felt my magic register it."

There was complete silence. The black eyes belonging to Severus Snape were smug with triumph, but no one noticed it. Barty Crouch Senior was looking at Harry speculatively.

"I don't think so, Mr Potter," said Mr Crouch sharply. "There is a way you can escape from that clause."

"What do you mean?" Sirius demanded, though he couldn't stop himself from glaring at the man who took away ten years of his life.

"He said so himself, Minister," Crouch replied. "Mr Potter is fourteen. What we need is for him to be of age. He would still be a party to the contract so there is no way out of the tournament, but there is a way in which he will not have to forfeit his magic and as an extension his life on the day of the first task."

"How is that?" asked Remus curiously.

"Emancipation. If he is magically and legally emancipated, the contract authorised by the Goblet of Fire would recognise him as an adult."

Sirius' head snapped up and everyone looked at Harry. The fourteen-year-old boy's face was impassive but his eyes showed that he comprehended what Crouch had said.

"I need to speak to my lawyers," said Sirius quietly. "We'll know if it works only after we consult experts. If that theory is wrong ..."

"There is still the issue of how Potter's name got into the goblet," said Professor McGonagall.

"This is most definitely my handwriting," Harry told them, looking at the slip in his hand. "There is no denying that it was written by me. A fake slip of parchment couldn't have been used from what Professor Dumbledore explained to us yesterday. It was probably taken from the school or Ministry archives or even homework assignments."

"A Confundus Charm would have worked," Dumbledore mused. "Though the person who charmed it must have been skilled enough to hoodwink the Goblet of Fire and Harry was probably entered under a fourth school. I'll check the goblet for any signs of tampering, but there is no question about it – both Harry and Cedric will have to compete."

Madam Maxime, Karkaroff and Snape all looked furious. The three original champions were quiet, watching the confrontation with wide eyes. The reality of the danger posed by the tournament was visible before their very eyes, and the tasks hadn't even started yet!

"Barty, the instructions?" Ludo Bagman spoke up. He did not seem all that affected by what had transpired here. In fact, he seemed overjoyed that Harry was participating.

"Ah yes, the First Task," said Barty Crouch, impeccable as always. "The First Task is designed to test your daring," he told Harry, Cedric, Fleur, and Viktor, "so we are not going to be telling you what it is. Courage in the face of the unknown is an important quality in a wizard."

"The First Task will take place on November the twenty-first, in front of the other students and the panel of judges. The champions are not permitted to ask for or accept help of any kind from their teachers to complete the tasks in the tournament. The champions will face the first challenge armed only with their wands. They will receive information about the Second Task when the first is over. Owing to the demanding and time-consuming nature of the tournament, the champions are exempted from the end-of-year exams and those held during the year."

"But I'll be taking my N.E.W.T.s at the end of the year," said Harry worriedly, looking at Sirius.

"We can deal with that once we solve this problem of you not being an adult," said Sirius quietly. Harry nodded. "That is all, I presume?"

"Yes, Minister," said Barty curtly.

"Good. Harry," said Sirius, jerking his head towards the exit. Not looking at anyone, Harry walked gracefully towards the door, his godfather's arm around his shoulder. He was followed by Karkaroff leading his student and Madam Maxime leaving with Fleur.

"Well, this night certainly was not what I had in mind," said Remus wryly.

"Indeed," said Dumbledore, his blue eyes lacking the customary twinkle. The signs were present. He should have seen this coming. Severus had warned him that the Dark Mark was growing stronger, which meant one thing.

Voldemort was making a return, but what was the reason behind Harry's forced entry into the tournament?

HP*SAVIOUR OF MAGIC*HP

Harry climbed up the steps to the Astronomy Tower. Sirius had just left Hogwarts. It was quite late, so they couldn't meet with their solicitors at this time. Tomorrow morning they would know what was to be done. Reaching the top of the stairs, he walked to the edge; it was a long way down. Putting his legs over the railing, he looked up at the sky and closed his eyes. It was raining heavily now, the raindrops falling on his body, soaking him. Taking a deep breath, Harry jumped.

He was falling fast, the ground was getting closer and the air was rushing to his face. When he was about ten feet from the ground, he twisted in mid-air. The large golden eagle didn't even scrape the ground as it ascended to the clouds. Flapping its wings, the eagle glided through the air, rain lashing against its powerful wings. An hour later, the eagle landed in the Astronomy Tower and transformed back into Harry Potter.

Harry sighed in relief as the warming and drying charms activated on his clothes. Flying always calmed him down. Turning around, he saw a blur and was attacked by two figures. He grunted on impact but hugged them back.

"How did you two find me?" asked Harry, confused.

"Map," muttered Dylan. "It was in your trunk."

"Ah."

"Harry, what happened tonight?" asked Daphne, looking worried.

"I don't know," Harry exhaled. He collapsed against a wall as he explained the situation to them. Both of them looked pale.

Daphne was soon pacing as she tried to think things through while Dylan argued with Harry. "But it is possible, right?" he asked earnestly. "If you are emancipated, the contract should recognise you as an adult."

"This is a magical contract, Dylan," explained Harry. "It is not just a piece of paper on which one signs like how Muggles do. If there is ever a situation like this where the contract itself contradicts itself, the will of magic would come into effect. This is a separate field of study under Magical Law. I will be speaking to experts on this matter tomorrow. If this theory does work, Sirius would immediately declare me emancipated, legally and magically. As the Minister of Magic, he does have the authority."

"It will work," said Dylan, more to himself than to Harry. "It has to work. Nothing will happen to you."

Harry looked at the two of them and smiled fondly. Putting an arm around each of them, he brought them to his chest, hugging them tightly. Somehow, the burden seemed to lessen as long as he had people who cared about him.

He would win. He was Harry Potter. He had survived after taking an Avada Kedavra to the face at the age of one! He would not let a magical contract do this to him.

HP*SAVIOUR OF MAGIC*HP

"Mr Crouch was right, Minister," said Mr Martin, going through the file in front of him. "The magical contract being at odds with itself can be rectified by emancipating Mr Potter. Once he is declared of age, he will become an adult citizen with all the rights and responsibilities that come with it."

Sirius breathed a sigh of relief. "What about the tournament?"

"That is something which is not possible to get out of," said the lawyer grimly. "This contract is authorised by the Goblet of Fire, an ancient magical artefact. It may have been tricked, but the magic behind it is legitimate. Mr Potter has to compete in all three tasks as any other champion or risk violating the terms of the contract."

"We were also discussing another theory," said Mrs Whittier. "Mr Potter might have already been recognised as an adult by the Goblet of Fire when it spat out his name. If that theory is right, it wouldn't affect him at all since he is already recognised as an adult. Of course, there is no way to prove this, which is why magically and legally emancipating him is a better option."

Sirius nodded. "Do you have the papers?"

Several files with formal looking sheets of parchment were given to Sirius and Harry for them to sign. One was Sirius authorising the emancipation as his guardian and Minister of Magic; another was Harry being declared an adult citizen, giving him the right to vote amongst other things. The others were business matters with Sirius no longer acting as his guardian. Harry would now be Lord Potter and be addressed as such. The regency on the Wizengamot which Sirius held until he became Minister, which was then transferred to Lord Cyrus Greengrass would now be void. Instead, Harry would appoint Cyrus as his proxy.

Once Sirius signed the emancipation form, Harry was now magically and legally an adult. Harry then signed in several forms as 'Lord Harry James Potter.'

"There is another Lordship for which I need to appoint a proxy," said Harry quietly.

"Another?" asked Mr Martin sharply. Harry simply flashed his Slytherin ring. The man's eyes widened. He looked at his daughter who was gaping at the ring too. They both recognised it instantly. They had worn that very same crest on their uniforms for seven years, after all.

"I am Lord Slytherin," Harry explained, "but as you can imagine, this is going to cause plenty of chaos. Everyone thinks Voldemort is the Heir of Slytherin, but they're wrong. He certainly is the descendant of Salazar, but not the heir. That title belonged to my mother, and after her death, it belongs to me. I will be claiming my seat during the winter session of the Wizengamot, so please have the papers ready and prepared."

"Of course, Lord Potter," said Mr Martin, mentally dancing in joy. His client was the Lord of the Potter, Gryffindor and Slytherin families, not to mention the other important client was Lord Black who was also the Minister of Magic. He could already taste the new clients coming his way.

"Contact Obscurus Books and let them know that Godric's journal would be released on the first of December. I have also included a personal letter from Salazar himself in that book. That should take care of any pesky problems from those questioning my position."

"No one can question you, Harry," said Sirius frowning. "The Department of Mysteries would ensure that you are indeed wearing the real signet ring and not anything fake."

"Still, that won't stop people from accusing me of line-theft, especially those who support Voldemort," said Harry, smirking. "This way, they'll know the truth a week before I claim the Lordship."

"It shall be done, Lord Potter," said Mrs Whittier.

HP*SAVIOUR OF MAGIC*HP

Harry pursed his lips as he entered the Great Hall the next day. The Magical Daily had reported the truth about the whole affair. The article had come two days later after the selection of the champions and had described what had happened that night. The three original champions were mentioned and later, Harry's unfortunate forceful participation was mentioned. Rita Skeeter had also reported the part where Harry thought he might die at the first task for violating the contract and his immediate emancipation the next day to prevent it. She had speculated who could have done it, but none of that mattered to several Hogwarts students.

The Hufflepuffs had taken to completely ignoring Harry; well, half of them anyway. Susan had told him privately that it was not the matter of Harry's forced participation; it was because Hufflepuff never got a chance to shine and they felt it was an attempt to take the limelight away from them. The Ravenclaws were happy that they were being represented, so they extended their support to him; mostly. He already had the loyalty of the Gryffindors because of his position as Lord Gryffindor, but there had been problems because Ron Weasley kept insisting that Harry was a glory hound. Slytherin was fine with it because they liked Harry better than Diggory.

However, Harry had also underestimated how many people at the school were jealous of him. To everyone at Hogwarts, Harry had everything and this was just something else he had that they didn't. Harry ignored them. Had they lived his life, they would know exactly how difficult it was to be Harry Potter. He had become colder in public, as he had before, during the Chamber of Secrets fiasco. Jealous people couldn't be reasoned with. Harry knew that fame was fickle; he had learnt that lesson the hard way. They would shun him today and praise him tomorrow. He didn't give a damn about what they thought of him anyway.

HP*SAVIOUR OF MAGIC*HP

"Why don't you swear a magical oath?" asked Daphne exasperatedly.

"As I explained to you two years ago, I'm not risking my life for these idiots, just to prove that I was telling the truth," said Harry calmly.

"But they won't shun you anymore," she argued.

"Are you sure of that?" asked Harry, raising an eyebrow. "The Hufflepuffs only care about the limelight being on them. The rest who shun me are boys who are jealous of me. That's probably one-quarter of the school. The rest of them treat me just fine, even if they don't talk to me much. Why should I pander to those who don't like me or believe me? If they didn't believe me after they read that I could have very well lost my life thanks to this nonsense, they wouldn't care even if I give them an oath."

Daphne nodded in understanding.

HP*SAVIOUR OF MAGIC*HP

Curiously, Harry's popularity with the girls hadn't suffered at all; in fact, it had increased if that was even possible. Harry was the Boy-Who-Lived, and he already had an enormous fan following even before the Triwizard debacle. But what was more was that he was desired by nearly every girl from Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang alike. Girls used to sigh and giggle every time they caught sight of him, and he had heard rumours from Astoria that the many girls now had large posters of him in their dorms. Tall, with a muscular frame, shoulder-length silky black hair, very handsome features and vivid green eyes made him the object of adoration for many and this annoyed Daphne. No one seemed to care that Harry was already engaged to be married.

Of course, Daphne wasn't faring any better. She had received several letters by owl from students from the other schools who asked her if she would like to go on a date with them. Harry was furious when he counted no less than twenty different letters from different boys, most of them describing how beautiful they thought she was. Daphne, of course, found the whole experience amusing and just vanished the whole lot of them, but their make-out sessions did get a lot more frequent and intense due to them wanting to prove to the other that they weren't interested in anyone else.

HP*SAVIOUR OF MAGIC*HP

"Take it off," said Dylan through gritted teeth, his face red with anger.

"Or what?" jeered Draco Malfoy. "What are you going to do, Lestrange? Or should I say, bastard?"

Dylan crumpled his hand into a fist. Draco was wearing a badge on his chest, which when tapped with a finger said, 'POTTER STINKS'. What to do? Uncle Sirius always told him not to get mad but get even. He would achieve nothing by attacking Malfoy, but he could do a lot more damage if he walked away.

He saw one of the Hufflepuffs wearing the badge so Dylan stunned the boy and pocketed it. Now he just had to find the best ones capable of manipulating the words on the badge. Luckily, he knew exactly where to find the Weasley twins. An evil grin formed its way to his lips. Oh, those fools wouldn't know what hit them!

HP*SAVIOUR OF MAGIC*HP

That night, Harry entered the Great Hall for dinner, having narrowly avoided an ambush by a dozen creepy, stalking fangirls. He sat down at his customary spot and noticed that Dylan wasn't there. Just when he had taken a bite of his food, Draco Malfoy came over with his goons.

"Hey, Potter," he said snidely. "Do you like the badges I created?"

Support Cedric Diggory – The REAL Hogwarts Champion

Harry looked at the badges pinned to their robes and raised an eyebrow. "Very good, Draco," he said calmly. "I'm glad you're supporting the Hogwarts champion. I thought loyalty was something that was beneath the Malfoy family, but I'm pleased that you're changing your ways. Was there anything else?"

Draco flushed in outrage but tried to remain calm. "Look what it does now!" he said with a superior smirk.

Harry blinked his eyes when he saw it. He couldn't help but smile slightly. "Wow," he said, sounding amused. "I'm happy for you, cousin. I'm personally not into him; the greasy hair, hooked nose and that charming personality of his put me off, not to mention I don't swing that way, but if you are happy, then I'm happy."

Draco looked confused and frowned at Harry. Meanwhile, Professor Snape, who had just entered the Great Hall, looked at the badges that a group of Hufflepuff boys and girls were wearing and his eyes widened. On the badge were the words –

I got buggered by Severus Snape

"Fifty points from Hufflepuff!" Snape spat angrily, glaring at the group of students. "Take those ridiculous badges off immediately!"

"Yes sir," said one of them nervously. Just as they tried to remove it, they realised that it was stuck. The words changed again to form –

I had my nose stuck up Severus Snape's greasy, smelly arse

"Another fifty points from Hufflepuff and a week's worth of detention! Who created these badges?"

"Draco Malfoy, sir," said one of them, looking ready to faint in fright.

"Draco, what is the meaning of this?" hissed Snape as he walked towards the pale boy.

"I don't know, sir, it was supposed to say Potter Stinks," he answered, trying to unpin the badge from his uniform. Instead, the words changed again.

I was in an orgy with Severus Snape and Albus Dumbledore where I buggered his wrinkled old arse and greasy Snape buggered mine

"Enough!" shouted Snape, his anger now reaching dangerous levels. "Draco, come with me!"

The Potions Master was shooting filthy looks at Harry which promised eternal pain. Harry's face remained impassive.

"Did you like it?" Dylan asked quietly as he sat down next to his brother, suddenly appearing out of nowhere, desperately trying to hide a smirk. The Notice-me-Not charm on his person ensured that no one paid any attention to him.

Harry knew that giving his Invisibility Cloak to the brat would be a bad idea and yet …

He was so proud.

"Love you too," Harry murmured.

HP*SAVIOUR OF MAGIC*HP

A week before the first task, the Weighing of the Wands was to take place. Harry made his way to the classroom where it was being held. When he entered, he saw that Cedric and Fleur were talking softly and Victor was looking out of the window. When Harry entered, Fleur smiled widely.

"Harry!" she said excitedly. "I haven't seen you for several days now! Where did you run off to?" she asked, pouting at him.

"Training, mostly," Harry shrugged casually. "What about you?"

Before Fleur could reply, Dumbledore, Madam Maxime and Karkaroff arrived with the Ministry and I.C.W. officials. Harry recognised the wandmaker; it was Garrick Ollivander. He also noticed several people of the media there as well, ready to take notes. He had a feeling their wand specifications would soon be made public; he found himself not caring about that.

"May I introduce Mr Ollivander?" said Dumbledore, taking his place at the judges' table and talking to the champions. "He will be checking your wands to ensure that they are in good condition before the tournament."

"Mademoiselle Delacour, could we have you first, please?" said Mr Ollivander, stepping into the empty space in the middle of the room.

"Yes," he said quietly, "nine and a half inches ... inflexible ... rosewood ... and containing a single filament of hair from the head of a Veela ..."

"Yes," Fleur smiled brightly. "It belongs to my grandmother."

Ollivander nodded approvingly and proceeded to test her wand. Once he was satisfied, he went on to Cedric. Harry paid close attention to what was being said about their wands, as it could give him some insight on how their personality worked; he had studied the basics of wand lore, something which he found to be quite interesting, especially after what Ollivander had told him the last time.

"Unicorn hair ... Twelve and a quarter inches ... Ash ... pleasantly springy," he said and tested it. With that, he moved to Krum.

"Ah, a Gregorovitch creation, isn't it? A fine wandmaker, it's a shame that he retired ... Hornbeam and dragon heartstring?" he shot at Krum, who nodded. "Rather thicker than one usually sees ... quite rigid ... ten and a quarter inches."

Once tested, he finally came to Harry who presented him with his wand. "Which brings us to Mr Potter," said Ollivander as he accepted the wand. "Ah yes, how well I remember. The modifications are working perfectly, I assume?" Seeing Harry nod, he continued. "Fifteen inches ... Yew and Basilisk fang ivory, containing the tail feather of a Thunderbird. Unusually rigid."

"Garrick, did I hear you right?" asked Dumbledore politely. "Basilisk fang ivory in a wand?"

"Yes," Ollivander replied happily, though Harry's face remained impassive as always. "My finest work, if I do say so myself. Mr Potter here came to me more than a year ago to have his wand modified after that – incident – in the Chamber of Secrets. It's good to know that my modifications are working well. Expecto Patronum!"

An elephant erupted from the tip of Harry's wand as Mr Ollivander tested it. "Good, it is in fine working order."

People were staring at Harry even after it was done and Harry observed that Dumbledore was looking slightly disturbed, no doubt because the Basilisk was a dark creature. His wand wood had a dark reputation, his core was considered grey and the addition of the ivory was dark. Harry rolled his eyes. Really, witches and wizards should stop giving such labels to magic based on the amount of light present. It was annoying and from what he had read from his mother's journals, Lily Potter completely agreed with him.

Once the photographs were taken, Harry calmly left the room. He had to prepare to fight against a dragon.