The echo of Dumbledore's shout faded, leaving the Great Hall shrouded in a thick, buzzing silence.
Harry Potter blinked a couple of times, stunned by his headmaster's shout. His brain processed the syllables of his own name floating in the air. He didn't feel panic or nausea at being the center of attention; it was... different, a feeling he hadn't had in a long time.
A wave of warmth washed over his chest. An involuntary smile tugged at the corners of his lips.
"Finally... I knew it, I knew it," Harry thought, the thought shining in his mind, overshadowing everything else. "This is it. The universe is finally correcting itself. Destiny chose me, not Gaunt, me."
It was his moment. It was the perfect opportunity to prove to Sirius, to Dumbledore, to the school, and above all, to the conceited Aurelian Gaunt, that he was not just a name in the history books. He was a champion. A hero.
At his side, Hermione elbowed him quite hard in the stomach, pulling him out of his triumphant reverie. Her face was pale, and her eyes darted nervously between the Goblet and the teachers' table.
"Harry," she whispered urgently, "Harry, you have to go! Get up, now!"
Harry nodded, shaking off his initial surprise. He stood up slowly, smoothing his Gryffindor robe.
Instead of shrinking under the gaze of hundreds of people, Harry threw his shoulders back and lifted his chin proudly. He walked as if he owned the castle, almost strutting between the tables. An arrogance that had been cultivated under Sirius's permissive tutelage and fueled by his hatred for Gaunt, resulting in a new Harry emerging.
He began to make his way down the aisle between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables.
Harry interpreted the silence as awe. He thought they were speechless at the sight of the "Boy Who Lived" defying the rules of age, demonstrating his exceptional magical ability.
But the reality was much colder.
As he passed, murmurs quickly erupted.
"He's a cheat!" hissed a sixth-year Hufflepuff student, his face red with anger. "Cedric is the champion! You're not seventeen!"
"He always has to be the center of attention, doesn't he?" muttered a Ravenclaw girl with disdain.
The Hufflepuffs in particular looked at him with visceral hatred. They felt that Harry was stealing the only moment of glory their house had had in decades. Even some Gryffindors seemed uncomfortable with the situation, not knowing whether to applaud or hide.
But Harry, wrapped in the bubble he created in his mind, filtered all that out. "Envy" he told himself. "They just can't stand that I'm the special one, the chosen one."
He reached the end of the dining hall and stopped in front of the High Table.
Albus Dumbledore was looking down at him. There was none of the usual twinkle in his blue eyes, nor the benevolent grandfatherly smile. The headmaster's face was expressionless, and his eyes were narrowed as he scanned Harry with a calculating intensity, searching for any trace of coercion.
Harry held his gaze, smiling slightly, waiting for a congratulation or a knowing wink.
Dumbledore did not smile. He simply raised a long finger and pointed toward the door of the antechamber, located behind the teachers' table.
"To the next room, Harry," Dumbledore said, his voice devoid of warmth. "With the other champions."
Harry nodded, taking it as a mere formality.
"Thank you, Professor," he said confidently.
Harry walked past the teachers' table. He ignored Professor McGonagall's furious glare, Snape's frown, and Moody's spinning magical eye that seemed to want to drill into his skull.
He crossed the threshold of the antechamber and closed the door behind him, leaving the murmurs of the great hall behind. He took a deep breath of the fresh air in the small room, feeling on top of the world, completely oblivious to the storm that had just broken out behind him.
In the Great Hall, chaos threatened to erupt. Hufflepuff students shouted "Fraud!", Ravenclaws argued about how Potter had managed to enter the tournament, and Slytherins laughed openly at the disaster that had just occurred.
Albus Dumbledore raised his wand and cast a spell that echoed like a cannon shot, instantly silencing the room.
"Prefects, take your houses to their dormitories!" Dumbledore ordered with an authority that brooked no argument. "Directors Karkaroff and Maxime, Mr. Crouch, please accompany me to find the champions."
Without waiting for a response, Dumbledore turned on his heel and marched toward the antechamber, his blue cloak billowing behind him like a storm cloud.
Entering the small room lit by the flames of the lamps, he found the three legitimate champions standing near the fireplace. Fleur and Viktor looked confused, while Cedric stared at Harry with a mixture of disbelief and annoyance. Harry, for his part, stood in the center, a smug smile on his face.
Dumbledore wasted no time. He crossed the distance in two quick strides and grabbed Harry by the shoulders, shaking him slightly.
"Harry!" Dumbledore roared, his usual calm replaced by fierce urgency. "You put your name in the Goblet of Fire?! You asked an older student to do it for you?!"
Harry blinked, surprised by the headmaster's sudden aggressiveness, but his confidence did not waver. He gently freed himself from Dumbledore's grip and smoothed his robe.
"No, Professor. I really don't know how I got in," Harry replied, shrugging with disconcerting naturalness. "But honestly... does it matter? The Goblet decided I was worthy. And I'm more than happy to participate. It's a great opportunity, don't you think?"
Dumbledore stared at him in astonishment. He had expected fear, confusion, denial. He hadn't expected... this. Something had definitely happened to Harry.
Before he could respond, the door burst open. Madame Maxime and Igor Karkaroff entered, followed by Ludo Bagman, Barty Crouch Sr., Snape, McGonagall, and a heavily limping Alastor Moody.
"C'est impossible!" Madame Maxime shouted, her enormous figure filling the room. "Hogwarts cannot have two champions! It's unfair!"
"I demand that the selection be redone!" spat Karkaroff, his eyes flashing with fury. "Dumbledore, this is blatant cheating! You've tampered with the cup! I'm sure of it!"
"The boy must withdraw!" added Maxime.
Amidst the shouting, Bartemius Crouch Sr., who had been standing stiffly near the door, spoke in a dry voice that cut through the air.
"The Mr. Potter. He cannot withdraw," Crouch declared.
Everyone turned to look at him.
"The rules are absolute," Crouch continued, staring at Harry with empty eyes. "The Goblet of Fire constitutes a binding magical contract. Once the name is out, there is no turning back. Mr. Potter has no choice. He must compete... or lose his magic forever."
A heavy silence fell over the room. Losing one's magic was a fate worse than death for any wizard or witch.
Cedric Diggory stepped forward, breaking the silence. His normally kind face was contorted with frustration.
"Mr. Crouch, Professor Dumbledore... with all due respect," Cedric said, pointing his finger at Harry, "he's just a fourth-year. He's not ready for a tournament like this. The tasks are designed for adult wizards who have already mastered more advanced magic. Potter is going to get hurt. This isn't like a game of Quidditch."
Harry's smile vanished. His green eyes flashed with anger, and he turned sharply toward Cedric.
"I'm not ready?" Harry snapped, pointing at his chest. "I've faced Lord Voldemort, Diggory! I'm more ready than any of you to face anything! You can't tell me what I can or can't do! I don't need you to protect me!"
Fleur Delacour let out a melodious but cruel laugh.
"Ooh, le petit garçon thinks he's a hero," she said, looking at him with disdainful pity. "If you think surviving is the same as having skill, you're very wrong. Poor child."
Viktor Krum didn't even speak. He just looked at Harry with his dark eyes, a look of silent disdain that clearly said he considered Harry an insignificant nuisance.
"Listen to me!" Harry shouted, taking a step toward Fleur. "I'll show you all who I am! I'll win!"
"Enough!" Karkaroff intervened. "This is ridiculous!"
The cries of protest erupted again. Maxime, Karkaroff, Harry, and Cedric began speaking at the same time, creating an unbearable cacophony.
Suddenly, the air in the room grew thicker. A wave of pure magical power emanated from Albus Dumbledore. The flames in the fireplace died down and the windowpanes vibrated dangerously, on the verge of shattering. Everyone froze, feeling the pressure of the angry Archmage.
Dumbledore slowly lowered his hand. His face was serene, but his eyes were like ice.
"Enough," Dumbledore said quietly, but everyone heard him. "The Chalice has spoken, and the contract is now sealed. There is no turning back."
The headmaster sighed, and the pressure in the room eased.
"The Triwizard Tournament will proceed with four champions," Dumbledore declared with resignation. "Mr. Diggory, Miss Delacour, Mr. Krum... please excuse this irregularity. Mr. Potter... you are the fourth champion."
Dumbledore looked at Harry and his expression softened slightly, tinged now with deep concern for the future of his young student.
"I will go to my office to contact Sirius Black via the Floo Network," said Dumbledore. "As your legal guardian, he must be informed immediately that his godson is entering a deadly tournament, and take the necessary measures."
The arrogance on Harry's face crumbled instantly. He looked down at his shoes. The euphoria of the moment evaporated, replaced by a cold knot in his stomach.
"Sirius" Harry thought.
His godfather would not take it as a victory. Sirius had spent twelve years in hell for him. Sirius became hysterical if Harry went out without telling him. He didn't even want to imagine how he would react when he found out he had entered the tournament.
"He's not going to like this at all..." Harry muttered to himself, feeling the weight of his "good luck" for the first time.
---------------------------
I have a Patreon account. If you would like to support me, I would greatly appreciate it. You will be able to read up to 15 more chapters, listen to all chapters as audiobooks, and view images of the characters in the story for free. Thank you very much for reading my story :D
patreon.com/Daoistrg