Sorry for the delay in release, took last weekend off and then Patreon was being really weird and not loading pages correctly for me, so this was the first chance i got to send some new chapters off, hope everyone enjoys them, just like the movies im gonna be skipping classes and build up quite a bit to get right to the three challenges so this 'year' is gonna go by really fast.
The trophy room suddenly felt much smaller to the boy who'd just arrived.
Ancient silver shields, tarnished goblets, and polished suits of armor lined the circular chamber, their gleaming surfaces reflecting the dancing firelight from the hearth.
Portraits of long-forgotten Quidditch captains and dueling champions watched silently from the walls, their painted eyes following the newest arrivals with open curiosity.
He'd been in this room before, for detention to clean every last trophy under the watch of Mr. Filch
Harry stood just inside the doorway stock-still upon seeing the other three chosen champions, still clutching the piece of burnt paper within his hands so tightly it had begun to crumple.
He looked completely lost.
Behind him the adults descended almost immediately.
Madame Maxime entered first, her enormous frame somehow making the chamber feel cramped.
"I protest!" she repeated, her rich French accent echoing from the stone walls. "Zis is an outrage!"
Karkaroff followed with considerably less volume but no less intensity.
Dumbledore and the others stormed in right after.
Moody limped in after them the last to arrive.
CLUNK.
THUD.
CLUNK.
His magical eye immediately fixed itself upon Harry.
The room was far from silent, Dumbledore seeing harry charged straight for the poor boy, his hands grasping at his hoodie to lock him in place, even managing to knock over a few trophies in the process without care.
His expression was calm.
Far calmer than his eyes.
"Harry. Harry did you put your name in that goblet of fire?"
The boy looked predictably panicked.
"No Sir!"
Dumbledore repeated the question under a new perspective.
"Did you ask one of the old students to do it for you?"
"No sir!"
Dumbledores hand reaffirmed their grip before he asked one last time.
"You're absolutely sure?"
"Yes... yes sir!"
Dumbledore searched Harry's face carefully.
Long enough that Harry began looking increasingly uncomfortable.
Silence lingered for only a moment.
Long enough for Dumbledore to slowly release the boy's shoulders.
Only for Madame Maxime to storm over but not before batting away a hanging lantern in her path.
"Well of course he is lying!"
"The hell he is!"
Mad-eye shot out, moving to join in the discussion.
"The Goblet of Fire is an exceptionally powerful Magical object, only an exceptionally powerful confundus charm could have hoodwinked it, well beyond the talents of a fourth year!"
The scarred Auror leaned heavily upon his walking staff.
His magical eye spun lazily toward the Goblet beyond the doorway before returning to Harry.
Karkaroff chose now to challenge the latest professor, getting up close and personal before voicing his rebuttal.
"You seem to have given this a fair bit of thought... Mad-eye!"
Moody's normal eye shifted toward him.
"It was once my job to think as Dark Wizards do Karkaroff, perhaps you remember?"
Dumbledore stepped forward before the exchange could deteriorate further.
"This doesnt help Alastor."
His voice was quiet.
Yet somehow carried absolute authority.
"We leave this to you Barty."
Dumbledore slowly turned.
His gaze settled upon Barty Crouch Sr.
The Ministry official had remained silent throughout.
Watching.
Thinking.
His expression betrayed nothing.
Every eye shifted toward the Ministry official.
For several long seconds—
Barty Crouch said nothing.
Finally he inhaled slowly.
"The rules..."
His voice retained its usual measured precision.
"...are absolute."
Harry swallowed.
"The Goblet of Fire constitutes a binding magical contract, Mr. Potter has no choice"
Another pause.
"...He is, as of tonight a triwizard champion."
The room remained utterly silent all eyes drawn to the young teenage boy who looked like he'd make a deal with the devil to get himself out of this moment.
Nobody spoke.
Nobody moved.
Until—
A sudden laugh echoed through the chamber.
It wasn't loud.
It wasn't mocking.
It was genuine.
Warm.
Utterly uncontrollable.
Everyone turned.
Cassius had bent forward slightly, one hand covering his mouth.
His shoulders shook.
Another laugh escaped him.
Then another.
Before long he had to brace one hand against a display cabinet simply to remain standing.
Fleur looked at him in confusion.
"...Cazzius?"
That only made him laugh harder.
A tear formed in the corner of one eye.
He wiped it away.
"I'm..."
Another chuckle interrupted him.
"...I'm sorry."
He clearly wasn't.
The adults watched him in complete bewilderment.
Finally Cassius straightened enough to breathe properly.
He looked toward Barty Crouch.
"You're absolutely correct."
Crouch frowned.
"I am?"
"Entirely."
Cassius nodded earnestly.
"The rules are absolute."
Another chuckle escaped him.
"...Now."
Confusion spread across nearly every face.
"Now?"
McGonagall repeated.
Cassius nodded.
"Now."
He looked toward Harry.
His expression softened.
There was almost... Pity.
"I'm afraid you've just learned a rather unpleasant lesson dear harry."
Harry frowned.
"What do you mean?"
Cassius gestured toward the closed door leading back into the Great Hall.
"You had a choice. One that you sadly missed due to not being informed beforehand."
Harry blinked.
"I did?"
"You absolutely did. Kist as Mr. Crouch said, this is a magically binding contract, one which you signed when you agreed to participate."
The room fell silent once more.
"But i nev-"
Cassius cut him off before he could continue.
"Yes yes, we all heard you didnt put your name in, but you did accept the slip when it was presented to you, you did follow the directions to come and join the other champions did you not?"
"..."
Harry couldnt help but be stunned into silence.
Was that the moment, his acceptance of what had just happened had done so in that moment?
Cassius continued calmly.
"Perhaps if your magical senses were more attuned you'd have felt the contract enforcing itself on you after starting the walk down the steps, but alas here we are now, four Champions instead of three."
He glanced toward Barty Crouch.
"The ICW amended the Tournament regulations centuries ago. They removed the Champion's ability to withdraw after accepting. to prevent the contest becoming a farce due to foreit."
He smiled politely.
"But before acceptance..."
His shoulders lifted in another small shrug.
"There was always a choice."
Fleur covered her mouth.
Then realization dawned.
A tiny giggle escaped her.
Another.
Soon she was laughing softly alongside him.
"My Lord..."
she managed.
"Zat is wonderfully ridiculous."
"It really is."
Cassius agreed.
Across the room—
The adults stood frozen.
Moody's magical eye had stopped spinning entirely locking itself on this new boy whom he'd previously thought nothing of..
McGonagall looked horrified.
Bagman's mouth hung open.
Karkaroff's expression became one of dawning disbelief.
Even Dumbledore...
For perhaps the first time all evening...
Looked genuinely surprised.
Because as the pieces assembled themselves—
Every one of them realized the same thing.
Cassius wasn't theorizing.
He was explaining.
Explaining a piece of magical law one that if each headmaster had known beforehand could have prevented this very situation, and spared a young boy of fourteen from competing long before he was ready to actually do so.