Title: Thousands Of Reasons To Smile

Author: Brightsidetolife

Genre: Family/Romance/Humor

Parings: Harry/Alphard, Charlus/Dorea, Tom/Minerva, Ignatius/Lucretia

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Thousands Of Reasons To Smile

Chapter Fifty-Five

"Watch this madness, colorful charade. No one can be just like me anyway."

-P!nk

The next few days passed without great incident, unless you counted the fact that the whole school was buzzing about the Tri Wizard Tournament non-stop.

The Gryffindor fourth years were looking forward to Professor Potter's first lesson so much that they arrived early on Thursday lunchtime and queued up outside his classroom before the bell had even rung. The only person missing was Tom, who turned up just in time for the lesson.

"Been in the -"

"Library." Harry finished his sentence for him. "C'mon, quick, or we won't get decent seats."

They hurried into three chairs right in front of the teacher's desk, took out their copies of The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection, and waited, unusually quiet.

Soon they heard footsteps coming down the corridor, and Professor Potter entered the room, looking a bit surprised about all the students whom were sitting alert and ready.

"You can put those away," Professor Potter replied nonchalantly, walking over to his desk and sitting down, "those books. You won't need them. We're all going to be learning hands on."

They returned the books to their bags, Tom frowning in the process.

Professor Potter took out a register quill and began to call out names.

"Right then," he said, when the last person had declared themselves present, "I've been talking to Professor Dippet and it seems you've had a pretty thorough grounding in tackling Dark creatures - you've covered boggarts, Red Caps, hinkypunks, grindylows, Kappas, and werewolves, is that right?"

There was a general murmur of assent.

"But you're behind - very behind - on dealing with curses," said Professor Potter. "So I'm here to bring you up to scratch on what wizards can do to each other. I've got one year to teach you how to deal with Dark Arts, especially with Grindelwald on the loose. The Unforgivables come in many strengths and forms. Now, according to the Ministry of Magic, I'm supposed to teach you counter curses and leave it at that.

I'm not supposed to show you what illegal Dark curses look like until you're in the sixth year. You're not supposed to be old enough to deal with it till then. But Professor Dippet's got a higher opinion of your nerves, he reckons you can cope, and I say, the sooner you know what you're up against, the better. How are you supposed to defend yourself against something you've never seen? A wizard who's about to put an illegal curse on you isn't going to tell you what he's about to do. He's not going to do it nice and polite to your face. You need to be prepared. You need to be alert and watchful.

"So. . . do any of you know which curses are most heavily punished by wizarding law?"

Several hands rose tentatively into the air, including Alphard and Tom's. The Professor pointed at Tom.

"The Imperius Curse."

"Ah, yes," said Professor Potter frowning. "The Imperius Curse is the only one of the three Unforgivable curses that can be defied or averted, but studies show that only a tiny fraction of the wizarding population are even capable of the ability, and an even smaller percentage of that group can actually resist the curse. It requires a strong disposition towards mental control and magical potency. However, some witches and wizards have, with enough practice, cultivated the inner aptitude to a full ability for ignoring the Imperius curse. They go about this process in a variety of ways, but all focus on the ability to channel inner magic."

"Can anyone tell me what a wizard and witch may feel or experience when the Imperius curse is placed on them?"

Nobody raised their hands, nobody except Harry.

"Yes, Mr. Potter?" Harry's grandfather actually looked shocked at Harry's raised hand. "You know the answer to my question?"

"Erm… I've been told that the experience of the cruse itself has been described as a pleasant, floating sensation and when you're under Imperius, there's this voice that raises out of somewhere strange, and starts whispering suggestions, orders, commands in your ear, and it seeps into the back of your fuzzy mind…" Harry lost his nerve as he gained all the attention to the students on him.

Professor Potter frowned before continuing. "After a moment, if you hold still long enough to listen, you realize the voice in the back of your head clearly isn't your own, and your mind is confused, battling with the command but also the knowledge that, that's what it is- a command."

Walking around the students Professor Potter had his hands behind his back. "So now we go on to resisting the curse. You have to ask yourself, why? When you're moving to murder your loved one, or best friend, and you think it long enough and hard enough to stop your body, to hold still. Because you know that you would never do that right? You still have all your memories and feelings, and you know you could never slash the knife across. All it takes you is that one push to move your own limbs away from their throat and you're free. All it takes is that sudden burst of logic, or of a simple knowing that you could never in your life rip out a friend's throat, that you could never bow down to an Unforgivable Curse cast by a dark wizard. If you can realize that, you can resist the curse."

Professor Potter walked to his desk and opened his desk drawer, and took out a glass jar. Three large black spiders were scuttling around inside it.

The Professor reached into the jar, caught one of the spiders, and held it in the palm of his hand so that they could all see it. He then pointed his wand at it and muttered, "Imperio!"

The spider leapt from Professor Potter's hand on a fine thread of silk and began to swing backward and forward as though on a trapeze. It stretched out its legs rigidly, then did a back flip, breaking the thread and landing on the desk, where it began to cartwheel in circles. Professor Potter jerked his wand, and the spider rose onto two of its hind legs and went into what was unmistakably a tap dance.

Everyone was laughing - everyone except who was a Potter.

"Think it's funny, do you?" Professor Potter asked the class frowning. "You'd like it, would you, if I did it to you?"

The laughter died away almost instantly.

Professor Potter picked up the somersaulting spider and threw it back into the jar.

"Anyone else know one? Another illegal curse?"

Avery's hand flew into the air immediately.

"Yes?" asked Professor Potter.

"There's the Cruciatus Curse, sir."

Professor was looking very intently at Avery.

"Your name's Avery?" he asked.

Avery nodded with a superiority look, but Professor Potter made no further inquiries. Turning back to the class at large, he reached into the jar for the next spider and placed it upon the desktop, where it remained motionless, apparently too scared to move.

"The Cruciatus Curse," said Professor Potter. "Needs to be a bit bigger for you to get the idea," he said, pointing his wand at the spider. "Engorgio!"

Professor Potter raised his wand again, pointed it at the spider, and muttered, "Crucio!"

At once, the spider's legs bent in upon its body; it rolled over and began to twitch horribly, rocking from side to side.

"Bloody hell!" Charlus said turning his head away from the image in front of him.

Professor Potter raised his wand. The spider's legs relaxed, but it continued to twitch.

"Reducio," Professor Potter muttered, and the spider shrank back to its proper size. He put it back into the jar.

"Seeing this for yourself," said Professor Potter softly. "Can anyone tell me what happens when one is under the Cruciatus for extended periods of time?"

"I would say extended exposure can cause permanent nerve damage and even brain damage, sir." Tom answered, but for some reason refused to meet Professor Potter's eyes.

"Correct. . . I'd say were done for the day or would students like to know any others and its effects?"

Harry looked around. From the looks on everyone's faces, he guessed they were all ready to go.

"Very well, you may all leave. Mr. Harrison Potter, a word please?" said Professor Potter sitting back at his desk.

After the dismissal the class left with a torrent of talk burst forth. Most people were discussing the curses in awed voices - "Did you see it twitch?"

"Yes, sir?" Harry asked walking up to his grandfather's desk. Tom and Charlus stayed behind with Harry to talk.

"Harry, you seem to know a lot about the Imperious Cruse."

"No," said Harry curtly, looking anywhere but at his great great grandfather.

"Harry?" Harold asked gently. "I'm not going to judge you-"

"Grandpa," Was all Harry said frowning in a defensive position with his hands and arms folded to his chest.

"Very Well," Harold said pulling out his wand, "Imperio!"

"Grandpa!" Charlus shouted shocked.

Harry flinched at the curse, but otherwise didn't feel any effects of it, as if it didn't even hit him.

"What the bloody hell is wrong with you!" Tom shouted inspecting Harry.

Harry waved Tom off. "I'm fine."

"How interesting, you show no effects whatsoever from the curse, as if… you're immune. How is that possible?" Harold got up from his desk and walked around to face Harry, but Tom stood in Harold's way.

"Fuck off, old man. How dare you!"

"Tom!" Charlus said disapprovingly.

"Thomas watch your language! No harm would have come to your brother-"

"You don't attack your own grandson! I don't care if you're my grandfather or not! You, sir, don't have my respect! I'll be notifying father of this." Tom ushered Harry away and Charlus followed after them.

"Boys!"

"Harry, are you really all right?" asked Charlus as they walked down the halls.

"I didn't even feel it, honestly."

Charlus gave Harry an alarmed look. "How do you not feel it? That spider was totally under grandpa-"

Tom snorted in disgust.

"spell. You don't have any urge?"

"No." Harry said frowning.

"Leave it alone, Charlus." Tom said walking with anger to his steps.

"Hey, guys, that was some lesson, eh?" said Alphard to Harry as he caught up with the Potter brothers before they set off for the Great Hall. " He really knows his stuff, your grandfather, doesn't he-"

But Alphard fell suddenly silent at the look on all the Potter brother's face and didn't speak again until they reached the Great Hall.

Tom did not join in with Charlus, Harry and Alphard's conversation during dinner, but ate furiously fast, and then left for who knows where. Harry and Alphard walked back to the dungeons, and Harry, who had been thinking of nothing else all through dinner, now raised the subject of the Unforgivable Curses himself.

"Wouldn't Harold and Professor Dippet be in trouble with the Ministry if they knew we'd seen the curses?" Harry asked Alphard as they approached the dungeons.

"Yeah, probably," said Alphard. "But Professor Dippet is a well-respected wizard, mate, so is your grandfather. Attacks first and asks questions later I reckon."

Salazar Slytherin swung forward to reveal the entrance hole, and they climbed into the Slytherin common room, which was crowded and noisy.

"Do you want to do homework?" asked Harry.

"I s'pose," Alphard groaned.

They went up to the dormitory to fetch their books only to find Ignatius there alone, sitting on his bed, reading. His eyes were rather red.

"You all right, Ignatius?" Harry asked him.

"Lucy broke up with me," Ignatius muttered, "I'm fine, though. Just reading."

"Upside down?" Alphard said frowning.

"Why did you two break up?" Harry asked sitting next to Ignatius.

"Apparently, Lucretia's parents don't approve of me and reckons I'll end up like my mum." Ignatius said angrily giving up his façade of reading and throwing his book across the floor.

"I don't honestly think it's fair of Lucretia to put her parent's in your relationship with her. I mean look at me and Al, we're still together despite what his parents think of me."

"And they seriously hate his guts, mate." Alphard said shrugging his shoulders at Harry who gave him a side-eye.

"If someday in the future if I ever wanted to marry Lucretia I'd have to have approval of her parents."

"No you don't, you can ask Dorea or even me. There, problem solved."

Ignatius sighed and turned to look at Alphard. "The problem is that I don't want Lucy to get disowned by her parents by being with me. So no not problem solved."

"What did Lucretia say about all of this?" Harry asked.

"She said that she wanted to be with me, but she couldn't go against her parent's wishes. Not yet anyway. She said us not being together would only be temporary."

Alphard rolled his eyes and shook his head. "That sounds tedious and unnecessary."

"Look, what you do with Harry, it's none of my business, but you must know if you want permission to have Harry as your life mate, you both have to get permission from each other's parents."

"Harry's parents adore me and Harry won't have to ask my parents for permission because all he'll have to do is ask Dorea, she'll say yes, we'll live happily ever after. So there."

"Whatever, mate."

"You're bringing me down, I need to go somewhere else."

"What about our homework?" Harry asked.

Alphard shrugged it off and left the room.

"I think I pissed him off."

Harry looked at Ignatius frowning. "It's not about Al, he'll get over it-"

"You don't understand, Harry," Ignatius said shaking his head and looking straight ahead, "getting approval from family is everything. If Alphard ever asked your parents if he could marry you, he'd have to be somebody, mean something. They'd have to know that Alphard could take care of you."

"And what about me? If Alphard's parents already hate me-"

"They can hate you all they want, but if you asked them for approval, they'd say yes. They'd give you shit about it, but they'll say yes."

Harry laughed. "How'd you figure that?"

"Because your name means something. Your family is practically royalty. I'd say if you and Black officially were together, that'd get his family to places they've always wanted to be."

"What?" Harry asked shocked.

Ignatius shrugged. "I don't really do politics, but I'm sure you get the gist of it. I think I offend Alphard by making him think that there's nothing he could do to equal the amount power that you hold in order for him to ever get approval from your parents."

"This is ridiculous. I think it's a bit early in the stage of our lives to be thinking about this kind of stuff don't you think?" Harry asked standing up. "Let's do some homework."

"Yeah, I reckon so."

Hours later, Dorea came into the common room with Charlus carrying a sheaf of parchment in one hand and a book in the other as she walked in and sat on the sofa next to Harry. Harry noticed that Lucretia wasn't with Dorea, which was odd seeing as the two were always together.

"Hello," she said, "I've just finished!"

"So have I!" said Charlus triumphantly.

Dorea gave Charlus a look as she laid down her things she was carrying in an empty armchair, and pulled Charlus homework toward her.

"Your spelling is atrocious and your theory needs work." she said frowning.

"Ah well, I'm sure the professor won't mind my spelling and Harry helped me with my muggle studies so its accurate, not a theory." Charlus said shrugging his shoulders as he went up to Harry to give him a hug.

"Harry, what do you know about muggle studies?" asked Dorea.

"Dorea." Alphard hissed at her walking into the common room with books and parchments in his hands.

Ignatius mouthed orphanage to Dorea when Harry wasn't looking.

Harry laughed. "Its not a big deal. I had … distant relatives whom were muggle."

"You mean squib?" asked Dorea. "I mean knowing your family background they had to be."

"Anyway! I'm beat, I think it's time for us to go to bed gentleman." Alphard said walking up the stairs.

Dorea raised her eyebrows. "Gentleman?"

"I can be a gentleman, tell her Harry." Alphard called back.

"How interesting for you to assume I meant you and not Charlus, Harry, or Ignatius."

"Shut it!"


The week's lessons were becoming more difficult and demanding than ever before, particularly Professor Potter's Defense Against the Dark Arts.

To their surprise, except Harry's, Professor Potter had announced that he would be putting the Imperius Curse on each of them in turn, to demonstrate its power and to see whether they could resist its effects.

"But you said it's illegal, Professor," said Harmony Burbage uncertainly as Professor Potter cleared away the desks with a sweep of his wand, leaving a large clear space in the middle of the room. "You said - to use it against another human was -"

"Professor Dippet wants you taught what it feels like," said Professor Potter, "If you'd rather learn the hard way - when someone's putting it on you so they can control you completely - fine by me. You're excused. Off you go."

Harmony went very pink and muttered something about not meaning that she wanted to leave.

Professor Potter began to beckon students forward in turn and put the Imperius Curse upon them.

"Harry, you don't have to do this." Tom said coming up to him.

"If I don't then everyone will talk. It's fine." Harry said shrugging his shoulders.

"No it's not fine-"

"Tom-"

"Dad said that if this becomes uncomfortable for you, that he'll talk to Harold, but I don't approve of how he's treating you."

"And how is he treating me, Tom?" Harry asked rolling his eyes.

"Like you're some freak, he's waiting for your turn so that you can be there in front of the class and resist the imperius curse-"

"Tom, calm down. It's almost our turn."

Harry watched as, one by one, his classmates did the most extraordinary things under its influence. Not one of them seemed to be able to fight off the curse, and each of them recovered only when Professor Potter had removed it.

"Thomas," The professor said, "you're next."

Tom moved forward into the middle of the classroom, into the space that Professor Harold had cleared of desks. Professor Harold raised his wand, pointed it at Tom, and said, "Imperio!"

"Now, do jumping jacks five times."

Harry watched as Tom struggled to fight off the curse. He had a frown on his face, but he mostly looked freaked out.

Eventually Tom ended up both jumping and trying to prevent himself from jumping - the result was that he'd tripped and fell flat on his face causing his nose to bleed.

"Now, that's more like it!" Professor Harold said clapping his hands together in excitement. Tom was holding the sleeve of his cloak to his nose as Harold removed the curse.

"Look at that, you lot. . . Potter fought! He fought it, and he damn near beat it!"

"I need to go to the hospital wing." Tom said glaring at Professor Harold.

"Oh of course, go ahead."

Tom grabbed Harry on the way out before Harold could protest.

"The way he talks," Tom muttered as he pinched his nose to try to stop his bleeding nose, "you'd think we were all going to be attacked any second."

"Are you kidding, Tom? We are actually that lucky or have you forgotten the many attacks and abductions we've been through?"

Tom just frowned without saying another word.

Harry, and Tom returned to the halls after Madam Abbott released Tom with a minor spell and made him sit for an hour more to be sure he was okay.

When they arrived in the entrance hall, they found themselves unable to proceed owing to the large crowd of students congregated there, all milling around a large sign that had been erected at the foot of the marble staircase. Tom, the tallest of the two, stood on tiptoe to see over the heads in front of them and read the sign aloud to the other two:

TRIWIZARD TOURNAMENT THE DELEGATIONS FROM BEAUXBATONS, DURMSTRANG, MAGIC SCHOOL ACADEMY AND SALEM WILL BE ARRIVING AT 6 O'CLOCK ON FRIDAY THE 30TH OF OCTOBER. LESSONS WILL END HALF AN HOUR EARLY AND STUDENTS WILL RETURN THEIR BAGS AND BOOKS TO THEIR DORMITORIES AND ASSEMBLE IN FRONT OF THE CASTLE TO GREET OUR GUESTS BEFORE THE WELCOMING FEAST.

"Only a week away, can you believe it!" said Conall Norton, Charlus and Tom's friend came up emerging from the crowd, his eyes gleaming. "I wonder if Charlus has seen this yet?"

"Why would Charlus care? He's not entering." said Tom blankly as Conall smirked and walked away.

"You know Charlus, wouldn't miss a chance like this. He'll probably be the first one to enter." said Harry.

"That idiot, he's going to get himself killed and by association, get you killed." said Tom frowning as they pushed their way through the chattering crowd toward the Great Hall.

"He's not an idiot and I highly doubt he's going to get killed."

"He shouldn't even be taking the risk! If he cares about you, he'd be more responsible!" Tom sneered.

"Tom, shut up. Let Charlus have some fun, he might not even be picked. Some sixth year or seventh year will probably get it anyway. And anyhow I told you and Charlus not to live your lives on eggshells around me! What kind of life will you be living like that." said Harry rolling his eyes.

"Excuse me, for thinking about your existence in this world." said Tom crossly.

Harry just sighed and walked on with an angry Tom at his side.

The appearance of the sign in the entrance hall had a marked effect upon the inhabitants of the castle. During the following week, there seemed to be only one topic of conversation, no matter where Harry went: the Triwizard Tournament. Rumors were flying from student to student like highly contagious germs: who was going to try for Hogwarts champion, what the tournament would involve, how the students from Beauxbatons, Durmstrang, Magic School Academy for Elite Potentials, and Salem differed from themselves.

Harry noticed too that the castle seemed to be undergoing an extra-thorough cleaning.

Several grimy portraits had been scrubbed, much to the displeasure of their subjects, who sat huddled in their frames muttering darkly and wincing as they felt their raw pink faces.

Other members of the staff seemed oddly tense too.

When they went down to breakfast on the morning of the thirtieth of October, they found that the Great Hall had been decorated overnight. Enormous silk banners hung from the walls, each of them representing a Hogwarts House: red with a gold lion for Gryffiindor, blue with a bronze eagle for Ravenclaw, yellow with a black badger for Hufflepuff, and green with a silver serpent for Slytherin. Behind the teachers' table, the largest banner of all bore the Hogwarts coat of arms: lion, eagle, badger, and snake united around a large letter H.

Charlus and a still bitter Tom sat down beside Minerva, Conall and Cynthia at the Gryffindor table. While Harry, Alphard, and Ignatius sat with Dorea and Lucretia at the Slytherin table.

"You two excited about the Triwizard Tournament?" Harry asked Dorea and Lucretia. "Have any guesses about whom might get picked?"

"Probably someone who doesn't deserve it." said Dorea rolling her eyes.

"I'm just excited to see the student's from the other schools! Hopefully they won't be snobs." Lucretia said.

"Wonder what the tasks are going to be?" said Alphard thoughtfully. "You know, I bet we could do them, Harry. We've done dangerous stuff before. . . ."

"Not in front of a panel of judges, you haven't," said Dorea glaring at Alphard (Harry is still surprised that Tom and Dorea didn't end up together). "Professor Dippet says the champions get awarded points according to how well they've done the tasks."

"Who are the judges?" Ignatius asked.

"Well, the Heads of the participating schools are always on the panel," said Dorea.

There was a pleasant feeling of anticipation in the air that day. Nobody was very attentive in lessons, being much more interested in the arrival that evening of the people from Beauxbatons, Durmstrang, Magic School Academy for Elite Potentials, and Salem; even Potions was more bearable than usual, as it was half an hour shorter.

The Heads of Houses were ordering their students into lines.

"Follow me, please," said Professor Slunghorn. "First years in front. . . no pushing.."

They filed down the steps and lined up in front of the castle. It was a cold, clear evening; dusk was falling and a pale, transparent-looking moon was already shining over the Forbidden Forest. Harry, standing between Alphard and Ignatius in the fourth row from the front.

"Nearly six," said Ignatius, checking his watch and then staring down the drive that led to the front gates. "How d'you reckon they're coming? The train?"

"Nah, probably something more wicked," said Alphard.

"How, then? Broomsticks?" Ignatius suggested, looking up at the starry sky.

"Maybe Salem…" Harry said in thought.

"A Portkey?" Alphard suggested. "Or they could Apparate - maybe you're allowed to do it under seventeen wherever they come from?"

"Will you guys shut it? You sound like children." said Dorea irritably.

Alphard blew raspberries at Dorea whom rolled her eyes and shook her head.

They scanned the darkening grounds excitedly, but nothing was moving; everything was still, silent, and quite as usual. Harry was starting to feel cold. He wished they'd hurry up.

Professor Slughorn sighed speaking with Professor Dumbledore, "…always the same - we can't resist showing off when we get together..."

And then Professor Dippet called out from the back row where he stood with the other teachers, "Aha! Unless I am very much mistaken, the delegation from Beauxbatons approaches!"

"Where?" said many students eagerly, all looking in different directions.

"There!" yelled a sixth year, pointing over the forest.

Something large, much larger than a broomstick - or, indeed, a hundred broomsticks - was hurtling across the deep blue sky toward the castle, growing larger all the time.

"It's a dragon!" shrieked one of the first years, losing her head completely.

"Don't be stupid!"

As the gigantic black shape skimmed over the treetops of the Forbidden Forest and the lights shining from the castle windows hit it, they saw a gigantic, powderblue, horse-drawn carriage, the size of a large house, soaring toward them, pulled through the air by a dozen winged horses, all palominos, and each the size of an elephant.

The front three rows of students drew backward as the carriage hurtled ever lower, coming in to land at a tremendous speed - then, with an almighty crash the horses' hooves, larger than dinner plates, hit the ground. A second later, the carriage landed too, bouncing upon its vast wheels, while the golden horses tossed their enormous heads and rolled large, fiery red eyes.

Then the golden doors opened.

A boy in pale blue robes jumped down from the carriage, bent forward, fumbled for a moment with something on the carriage floor, and unfolded a set of golden steps. He sprang back respectfully. Then Harry saw a shining, blue high-heeled shoe emerging from the inside of the carriage - followed, almost immediately, by the beautiful slender woman with long blond curls and stunning ocean blue eyes sparkled like the stars in a twilight dark sky. A few people gasped at the woman's lovely appearance.

Harry had never seen this women before of course. Madam Maxime was the headmistress of Beauxbatons in his future.

As she stepped into the light flooding from the entrance hall, she was revealed to have a beautiful, olive-skinned face, average height, and a rather young looking appearance. As if she was just a few years older than of the sixth or seventh years.

She was dressed from head to foot in blue satin evening gown, and many magnificent opals gleamed at her throat and one on her left finger.

Professor Dippet started to clap; the students, following his lead, broke into applause too, many of them standing on tiptoe, the better to look at this woman.

Her face relaxed into a gracious smile and she walked forward toward Dippet, extending her slender hand. Dippet, politely kissed her hand.

"My dear Madame Chevalier," he said. "Welcome to Hogwarts."

"Dippet," said Madame Chevalier in a pleasant honeyed voice. "I 'ope I find you well?"

"In excellent form, I thank you," said Professor Dippet.

"My pupils," said Madame Chevailer, waving one of her hands for her students to come closer.

Harry, whose attention had been focused completely upon Madame Chevailer, now paid more attention to the dozen of boys and girls, all, by the look of them, in their late teens, had emerged from the carriage and were now standing behind Madame Chevailer. The girls were shivering, which was unsurprising, given that their robes seemed to be made of fine silk, and only the boys were wearing cloaks.

"As Ericksen arrived yet?" Madame Chevailer asked.

"He should be here any moment," said Dippet. "Would you like to wait here and greet him or would you prefer to step inside and warm up a trifle?"

"Warm up, I think," said Madame Chevalier. "But ze 'orses -"

"Our Care of Magical Creatures teacher will be delighted to take care of them," said Dippet.

"My steeds require - er - forceful 'andling," said Madame Chevailer, looking as though she doubted whether any Care of Magical Creatures teacher at Hogwarts could be up to the job.

"Zey are very strong. . . ."

"I assure you that we have many professors whom will be well up to the job," said Dippet, smiling.

"Very well," said Madame Chevailer, bowing slightly. "Come," said Madame Chevalier imperiously to her students, and the Hogwarts crowd parted to allow her and her students to pass up the stone steps.

"She is gorgeous." Ignatius said to Harry and Alphard. "How old do you suppose she is?"

"Too old for you." Lucretia said in front of them as Dorea snickered next to her.

"I think you have a chance, mate." Alpahrd said clapping Ignatius on the shoulder, just to anger Lucretia whom turned away with her arms folded.

They stood, shivering slightly now, waiting for the rest of the party to arrive. Most people were gazing hopefully up at the sky.

For a few minutes, the silence was broken only by Madame Chevailer's huge horses snorting and stamping. But then - "Can you hear something?" said Alphard suddenly.

Harry listened; a loud and oddly eerie noise was drifting toward them from out of the darkness: a muffled rumbling and sucking sound, as though an immense vacuum cleaner were moving along a riverbed.

From their position at the top of the lawns overlooking the grounds, they had a clear view of the smooth black surface of the water - except that the surface was suddenly not smooth at all. Some disturbance was taking place deep in the center; great bubbles were forming on the surface, waves were now washing over the muddy banks - and then, out in the very middle of the lake, a whirlpool appeared, as if a giant plug had just been pulled out of the lake's floor. .

What seemed to be a long, black pole began to rise slowly out of the heart of the whirlpool. . . and then Harry saw the rigging...

Slowly, magnificently, the ship rose out of the water, gleaming in the moonlight. It had a strangely skeletal look about it, as though it were a resurrected wreck, and the dim, misty lights shimmering at its portholes looked like ghostly eyes. Finally, with a great sloshing noise, the ship emerged entirely, bobbing on the turbulent water, and began to glide toward the bank. A few moments later, they heard the splash of an anchor being thrown down in the shallows, and the thud of a plank being lowered onto the bank.

People were disembarking; they could see their silhouettes passing the lights in the ship's portholes. All of them, Harry noticed, seemed to be built along the lines of Crabbe and Goyle... but then, as they drew nearer, walking up the lawns into the light streaming from the entrance hall, he saw that their bulk was really due to the fact that they were wearing cloaks of some kind of shaggy, matted fur. But the man who was leading them up to the castle was wearing furs of a different sort: sleek and brown, like his hair.

"Professor Dippet," he called as he walked up the slope. "How are you?"

"Blooming, thank you, Professor Eriksen," Dippet replied. Eriksen had a gravelly voice; when he stepped into the light pouring from the front doors of the castle, they saw that he was tall and thin like Dippet, but his brown hair was short, side-parted swept style and a pencil mustache. He looked to be in his late thirty's. When he reached Dippet, he shook hands with both of his own.

" Hogwarts," he said, looking up at the castle and smiling; his teeth were rather bright and white, and Harry noticed that his smile seemed force. "How good it is to be here, how good.. . . my dear students, come along, into the warmth. . . you don't mind, Dippet? It is mighty cold out here..."

"Oh look! Up in the sky!" One of the first years yelled pointing up in the air.

"I knew it!" Ignatius said looking up.

Up in the sky were dozen of witches in long cloaks flying in a V formation towards Hogwarts. When they started diving down, they went down as a unit still in their V formation and landed before the students gracefully. Their appearance was still hidden by their long black hooded cloaks, until one of them got off their broom and pushed back their hooded cloak whilst walking to Professor Dippet.

It was a woman of with reddish orange hair put into a braided bun and chocolate brown eyes. She was also slender and tall with a heart shaped face. She looked to be in her late thirty's as well.

"I'm sorry, did I keep you waiting?" The woman greeted in an American accent.

Professor Dippet held a single hand out in greeting. "Not at all! Lady Rivera, Deputy Headmistress, thank you for coming. Professor Eriksen of Drumstrang, just arrived right before you."

"I see," Lady Rivera replied easily as she nodded once. "these lovely ladies are my students."

The students all pulled back their cloaks, revealing their appearance. Young witches in pink evening traditional flare dresses as they gathered together, giggling and climbing off of their brooms.

They actually all looked like ordinary students, like as if they attended Hogwarts themselves. Some of them had gold jewelry boho headband over their flowing hair.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all," Dippet said bowing, "why don't you all head inside, and keep warm. I'll have Professor Dumbledore escort you in. We are still waiting for Magic School Academy."

Professor Dumbledore came up beside Lady Rivera. "My lady?" Dumbledore said bowing.

"Well, thank you, Professor Dumbledore."

Soon after, two minutes later, what sounded like the Hogwarts express was heard all around them. The noise is heard from a distance, but then it sounds like thunder or maybe something else? The students turn their heads toward the direction of the noise and everyone sees lights in the air and the noise got louder. Then everyone hears a chugga chugga sound, and then a horn-then just that quick train rails appear by the lake and sure enough a train with six cargos rushes up near and comes to a sudden stop.

"I honestly don't know what to say about that." Ignatius said watching as all the students get out and their headmaster leads them towards Professor Dippet.

The man is what girls would call tall dark and handsome. He had a college contour hairstyle and dark brown eyes. He had a charming smile to his face.

"Professor Dippet," he called as he walked up the slope, "thank you for having us."

"Professor Clark Gable, the pleasure is all mine." Dippet replied.

The students of Magic School Academy were still dressed the same way Harry saw them last summer. The boys wore blue plaid shirts and black pants and the girls wore pink plaid skirt and black vest over their white dress shirt and a black skirt. They resembled Hogwarts a lot only there was a crest on their robes that looked like a golden crown.

As they crossed the entrance hall with the rest of the Hogwarts students heading for the Great Hall, Harry saw Nixie Conway jumping up and down on the soles of her feet to wave at him.

"She's so embarrassing, just keep walking and act like you don't know her." Alphard said grabbing Harry's hand.

"Al!" Harry said playfully shoving Alphard's shoulder.

They walked over to the Slytherin table and sat down. Durmstrang students were still gathered around it, apparently unsure about where they should sit. The students from Beauxbatons had chosen seats at the Ravenclaw table. They were looking around the Great Hall with glum expressions on their faces. Three of them were still clutching scarves and shawls around their heads.

"It's not that cold," said Dorea defensively. "Why didn't they bring cloaks?"

Magic School Academy sat with the Gryffindors. Nixie sitting right next to Charlus and Cynthia. Harry could see Tom looking very annoyed about this.

"The Magic School Academy and Salem look much more friendlier than both Drumstrang and Beauxbatons put together," said Ignatius. The Salem students were looking up at the starry black ceiling with expressions of interest. The Magic School Academy students were just looking around the whole Great hall in wonder.

When all the students had entered the Hall and settled down at their House tables, the staff entered, filing up to the top table and taking their seats. Last in line was Professor Dippet, Professor Eriksen, Madame Chevailer, Headmistress Rivera and Headmaster Gable. When Madame Chevailer appeared, the pupils from Beauxbatons leapt to their feet. A few of the Hogwarts students laughed. The Beauxbatons party appeared quite unembarrassed, however, and did not resume their seats until Madame Chevailer had sat down on Dippet's left-hand side.

Professor Dippet remained standing, and a silence fell over the Great Hall.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, ghosts and - most particularly - guests," said Dippet, beaming around at the foreign students. "I have great pleasure in welcoming you all to Hogwarts. I hope and trust that your stay here will be both comfortable and enjoyable."

"The tournament will be officially opened at the end of the feast," said Dippet. "I now invite you all to eat, drink, and make yourselves at home!"

He sat down, and Harry saw Eriksen lean forward at once and engage Madame Chevailer in conversation while Headmistress Rivera talked with Professor Dippet.

The plates in front of them filled with food as usual. The house-elves in the kitchen seemed to have pulled out all the stops; there was a greater variety of dishes in front of them than Harry had ever seen, including several that were definitely foreign.

"What's this?" asked Alphard disgusted, pointing at a large dish of some sort of shellfish stew that stood beside a large steak-and-kidney pudding.

"Bouillabaisse, you idiot. You took French class with me." said Dorea.

"You don't need to be rude," said Alphard scowling.

"It's very nice, you'll like it." Lucretia replied.

"I guess I'll take your word for it," said Alphard, helping himself to black pudding.

Once the golden plates had been wiped clean, Professor Dippet stood up again. A pleasant sort of tension seemed to fill the Hall now.

"The moment has come," said Dippet, smiling around at the sea of upturned faces. "The Triwizard Tournament is about to start. I would like to say a few words of explanation before we bring in the casket -"

"The what?" Ignatius muttered.

Alphard shrugged.

"- just to clarify the procedure that we will be following this year. But first, let me introduce, for those who do not know them, Mr. Benjamin Bones, Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation" - there was a smattering of polite applause - "and Mr. Sebastian Kingsley, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports."

"Mr. Bones and Mr. Kingsley have worked tirelessly over the last few months on the arrangements for the Triwizard Tournament," Dippet continued, "and they will be joining myself, Professor Eriksen, Madame Chevailer, Lady Rivera, and Headmaster Gable on the panel that will judge the champions' efforts."

At the mention of the word "champions," the attentiveness of the listening students seemed to sharpen. "The casket, then, if you please, Professor Dumbledore."

Dumbledore carried a great wooden chest encrusted with jewels. It looked extremely old.

A murmur of excited interest rose from the watching students.

"The instructions for the tasks the champions will face this year have already been examined by Mr. Bones and Mr. Kingsley," said Dippet as Dumbledore placed the chest carefully on the table before him, "and they have made the necessary arrangements for each challenge. There will be three tasks, spaced throughout the school year, and they will test the champions in many different ways.. their magical prowess - their daring -their powers of deduction - and, of course, their ability to cope with danger."

At this last word, the Hall was filled with a silence so absolute that nobody seemed to be breathing.

"As you know, five champions compete in the tournament," Dippet went on calmly, "one from each of the participating schools. They will be marked on how well they perform each of the Tournament tasks and the champion with the highest total after task three will win the Triwizard Cup. The champions will be chosen by an impartial selector: the Goblet of Fire."

Dippet now took out his wand and tapped three times upon the top of the casket. The lid creaked slowly open. Dippet reached inside it and pulled out a large, roughly hewn wooden cup. It would have been entirely unremarkable had it not been full to the brim with dancing blue-white flames.

Dippet closed the casket and placed the goblet carefully on top of it, where it would be clearly visible to everyone in the Hall.

"Anybody wishing to submit themselves as champion must write their name and school clearly upon a slip of parchment and drop it into the goblet," said Dippet. "Aspiring champions have twenty-four hours in which to put their names forward. Tomorrow night, Halloween, the goblet will return the names of the three it has judged most worthy to represent their schools. The goblet will be placed in the entrance hall tonight, where it will be freely accessible to all those wishing to compete.

"To ensure that no underage student yields to temptation," said Dippet, "I will be drawing an Age Line around the Goblet of Fire once it has been placed in the entrance hall. Nobody under the age of fourteen will be able to cross this line.

"Finally, I wish to impress upon any of you wishing to compete that this tournament is not to be entered into lightly. Once a champion has been selected by the Goblet of Fire, he or she is obliged to see the tournament through to the end. The placing of your name in the goblet constitutes a binding, magical contract. There can be no change of heart once you have become a champion. Please be very sure, therefore, that you are wholeheartedly prepared to play before you drop your name into the goblet. Now, I think it is time for bed. Good night to you all."

"An Age Line!" Cynthia said pouting to Tom, "that's not fair."

"You're barely twelve." Tom said rolling his eyes.

Professor Eriksen bustled up to his students. "Back to the ship, then," he was saying.

The Professors led their students out the doors and back to their dorm.


As the next day was Saturday, most students would normally have breakfasted late. Harry, Alphard, and Ignatius, however, were not alone in rising much earlier than they usually did on weekends. When they went down into the entrance hall, they saw about twenty people milling around it, some of them eating toast, all examining the Goblet of Fire. It had been placed in the center of the hall on the stool that normally bore the Sorting Hat. A thin golden line had been traced on the floor, forming a circle ten feet around it in every direction.

"Anyone put their name in yet?" Alphard asked a third-year girl eagerly.

"Magic School Academy, Salem, and all the Durmstrang lot," she replied. "But I haven't seen anyone from Hogwarts yet."

The decorations in the Great Hall had changed this morning. As it was Halloween, a cloud of live bats was fluttering around the enchanted ceiling, while hundreds of carved pumpkins leered from every corner. Harry led the way over to Charlus and Conall, who were discussing Hogwarts students who might be entering.

"There's a rumor going around that Mulciber got up early and put his name in, is it true?" Conall asked Harry. "That big bloke from Slytherin who looks like a crow."

Harry laughed as Alphard shook his head in disgust and answered for Harry. "That prick probably did, I wouldn't put it past him."

"We can't have a Slytherin champion!" Charlus said scowling.

"Uh, rude." Alphard said back.

"And all the Gryffindors are talking about Tom and Minerva," said Cynthia sitting with them. "But I wouldn't have thought Minerva would ever want to risk something that's not considered safe."

"Listen!" said Ignatius suddenly.

People were cheering out in the entrance hall. They all swiveled around in their seats

and saw Tom and Minerva coming into the Hall, both grinning in an embarrassed sort of way. They both came over to them, sat down, and said, "Well, we've done it! Just put our names in!"

"You're kidding!" said Charlus, looking shocked. "How come it's okay for you, but-"

"Are you sure you're ready for something dangerous like this, then?" Harry asked Minerva.

"Course she is, she's the smartest in her year." said Tom scowling at Harry, whom raised an eyebrow at Tom.

"Tom and I talked about it. This will look good in our records-" said Minerva.

"Of course." Everyone said together interrupting Minerva in midsentence.

"I really hope you get it though, Minerva. Despite the teasing, I really think you'll be great." Harry said.

"Thanks, Harry," said Minerva, smiling at him.

"What're we going to do today, then?" Alphard asked Harry and Ignatius when they had finished breakfast and were leaving the Great Hall.

Before any of the boys answered, Madame Chevailer entered the hall and behind her were her students all organized into a line. One by one, the Beauxbatons students stepped across the Age Line and dropped their slips of parchment into the blue-white flames. As each name entered the fire, it turned briefly red and emitted sparks.

"What d'you reckon'll happen to the ones who aren't chosen?" Alphard muttered to Harry as the veela-girl dropped her parchment into the Goblet of Fire. "Reckon they'll go back to school, or hang around to watch the tournament?"

"They'll stay, they have to support their classmate right? Besides Madame Chevailer is staying as the judge." said Harry.

When all the Beauxbatons students had submitted their names, Madame Chevailer led them back out of the hall and out onto the grounds again.

"I don't think I'll be able to concentrate on anything, we can just hang out on the school grounds till it's time to see who the champions are." Harry suggested.

"Or me and you could ditch Ignatius and go snog somewhere." Alphard suggested smirking.

"You two are disgusting."

"Al, luv, you know that would be rude to Ignatius," Harry said gently kissing Alphard on the lips.

Ignatius sighed dramatically. "Let's go already. I hate you guys."


It surprisingly got dark outside fairly quickly. Drawing their cloaks more closely around themselves, they set off up the sloping lawns back to Hogwarts.

"It's them, look!" Ignatius whispered.

The Durmstrang party was walking up toward the castle from the lake.

When they entered the candlelit Great Hall it was almost full. The Goblet of Fire had been moved; it was now standing in front of Dippet's empty chair at the teachers' table.

The Halloween feast seemed to take much longer than usual. Harry simply wanted the plates to clear, and to hear who had been selected as champions.

At long last, the golden plates returned to their original spotless state; there was a sharp upswing in the level of noise within the Hall, which died away almost instantly as Dippet got to his feet. On either side of him, Professor Eriksen, Madame Chevailer, Headmistress Rivera, and Headmaster Gable looked as tense and expectant as anyone. Both Sebastian Kingsley and Benjamin Bones was beaming and winking at various students.

"Well, the goblet is almost ready to make its decision," said Dippet. "I estimate that it requires one more minute. Now, when the champions' names are called, I would ask them please to come up to the top of the Hall, walk along the staff table, and go through into the next chamber" - he indicated the door behind the staff table - "where they will be receiving their first instructions."

He took out his wand and gave a great sweeping wave with it; at once, all the candles except those inside the carved pumpkins were extinguished, plunging them into a state of semidarkness. The Goblet of Fire now shone more brightly than anything in the whole Hall, the sparkling bright, bluey-whiteness of the flames almost painful on the eyes.

Everyone watched, waiting. . . . A few people kept checking their watches. . .

The flames inside the goblet turned suddenly red again. Sparks began to fly from it.

Next moment, a tongue of flame shot into the air, a charred piece of parchment fluttered out of it - the whole room gasped.

Dippet caught the piece of parchment and held it at arm's length, so that he could read it by the light of the flames, which had turned back to blue-white.

"The champion for Durmstrang," he read, in a strong, clear voice, "will be Gustaf Anton."

Polite applause and cheering swept the Hall.

Harry watched Gustaf Anton rise from the Slytherin table and slouch up toward Dippet; he turned right, walked along the staff table, and disappeared through the door into the next chamber.

"Bravo, Gustaf!" boomed Eriksen, so loudly that everyone could hear him, even over all the applause. "Knew you had it in you!"

The clapping and chatting died down. Now everyone's attention was focused again on the goblet, which, seconds later, turned red once more. A second piece of parchment shot out of it, propelled by the flames.

"The champion for Beauxbatons," said Dippet, "is Azkadellia Beaufort!"

"Oh look how disappointed they all are," Lucretia said to Dorea rolling her eyes as she looked over, nodding toward the remainder of the Beauxbatons party. "Disappointed" was a bit of an understatement, Harry thought. Two of the girls who had not been selected had dissolved into tears and were sobbing with their heads on their arms.

When Azkadellia Beaufort too had vanished into the side chamber, silence fell again.

And the Goblet of Fire turned red once more; sparks showered out of it; the tongue of flame shot high into the air, and from its tip Dippet pulled the third piece of parchment.

"Salem Witches' Institution champion," he called, "is Jacqueline Cholderton!"

"She's pretty." said Dorea, but nobody heard her except the people around Dorea; the uproar from the next table was too great. Every single girl from the school had jumped to their feet, screaming and hugging, as Jacqueline Cholderton made her way past them, grinning broadly, and headed off toward the chamber behind the teachers' table.

The fire in the goblet had just turned red again. Sparks were flying out of it. A long flame shot suddenly into the air, and borne upon it was another piece of parchment.

Automatically, Dippet reached out a long hand and seized the parchment. He held it out and stared at the name written upon it. There was a long pause, during which Professor Dippet stared at the slip in his hands, and everyone in the room stared at Dippet. And then Dippet cleared his throat.

"The Champion for Magic School Academy is, Alphard Black!"

There was silence. Deadly silence as both Hogwart students and the students from Magic School Academy whom actually knew who Alphard was, all looked at him in shock.

Harry grabbed Alphard's hand underneath the table and gave him an encouraging squeeze.

Alphard held his head up high and got up from the table. "Technically, I am a student at Magic School Academy during the summers! And I know like sixty percent of you guys here!"

"Mr. Black, just please get up here." Said Headmaster Gable.

"I don't see how that's fair?! You're going to have two Hogwart students-"

"Eriksen, Mr. Black will be representing Magic School Academy, not Hogwarts." Said Headmaster Gable.

"You ladies have nothing to say about this?" Professor Eriksen asked rounding on them.

Both Madame Chevailer and Headmistress Rivera looked at one another frowning.

"Like Headmaster Gable said Professor Eriksen, Mr. Black will be representing Magic School Academy, not Hogwarts." Headmistress Rivera said.

"This discussion can wait for another time, Eriksen." Professor Dippet said as Alphard headed off toward the chamber behind the teachers' table.

This time the silence that was coming off from students was with excitement that you could almost taste. The Hogwarts champion was next...

The Goblet of Fire turned red once more; sparks showered out of it; the tongue of flame shot high into the air, and from its tip Dippet pulled the fifth piece of parchment.

"Hogwarts champion," he called, "is Thomas Potter!"

"Excellent!" Professor Dippet called happily as at last the tumult died down. "Well, we now have our five champions. I am sure I can count upon all of you, including the remaining students from Beauxbatons, Durmstrang, Magic School of Elite Potentials, and Salem Witches' Institution to give your champions every ounce of support you can muster. By cheering your champion on!"


A/N Merry Christmas!