Chapter Text
An Existing Loophole – Chapter 1 (Written on the Page)
When it came to luck and Harry Potter, it usually didn’t dwell well for him. He had learned that lesson from his first year. It was like every year that there was some threat against him. So, the fact that his fourth year was going so well should have been suspicious from the start.
He loved going to the Quidditch World Cup with the Weasleys. He had flown in the Quidditch Matches at Hogwarts, he was the Seeker on the Gryffindor team. But to go to an international match was something different entirely. He had never seen a professional match and he loved it. Granted, he was cheering for Bulgaria, even though he didn’t know much about their team. Probably would have rooted for the Irish given they had seven talented players; Bulgaria only had one. Least that he could see. The entire game, Irish had been in the lead. It hadn’t mattered that Bulgarian’s Seeker, Krum, had caught the snitch to end the game. The Irish team had still won.
That was when luck started to go sour when the Death Eaters had attacked, Harry had never heard of them. Another thing that was being kept from him. He should have known this, everyone else did. But he had been left in the dark, as always. It was starting to irritate him.
A shadow loomed over Hogwarts over the fact that the Death Eaters had attacked the Quidditch World Cup. Voldemort was dead, supposedly, so why would his followers attack? They hadn’t made an appearance for around fourteen years. Something had changed, Harry knew it. He didn’t know what it was, but something was going on.
Though everyone noticed the stone goblet near the front by the staff’s table at the Welcoming Feast. It wouldn’t be until Halloween when everyone found out what it was. More importantly, why it was there in the first place.
The fact that this was all announced on Halloween should have put Harry on edge in the first place. It always seemed that everything bad always happened on Halloween.
The troll had been let loose in the castle in his first year, the message on the wall about the Chamber and Mrs. Norris being petrified, those were a few to name.
It was the TriWizard Tournament, something that Harry had never heard about before. He had to ask Hermione about it, seeing that Dumbledore didn’t offer much of an explanation. For one, he knew that she would have been searching in the library about any information concerning the tournament once it was announced. Hermione always had a thirst for knowledge and desire to understand things she didn’t know.
She didn’t disappoint him.
He hadn’t known that the TriWizard Tournament had been a long and ancient tradition. Over seven hundred years. Taking place every five years and alternating between schools. Apparently, it was Hogwarts time to host the tournament. Then there was the explanation on why it had been cancelled. Professor Dumbledore did at least mention the high death toll. He was already not liking the sound of this. Though he supposed that despite the dangers, it did provide each school a way to show their skills. He didn’t see on how it was supposed to show that all of them could work together. But it wasn’t like he knew much to start with. He wouldn’t even know how to approach any of them. Not that he would want to, they probably hated him because he was the reason Hogwarts had two champions now.
But even after all of that, Harry knew he should have remembered that and been on guard, but he hadn’t. It was at dinner that things escalated from good to bad. Just like every Halloween, this year would be no different.
But even after the three champions’ name came out of the Goblet of Fire, a fourth name came out.
Harry Potter.
Harry felt his face go pale and almost collapse in the seat he was in.
No, no no… This couldn’t be happening. Those were the thoughts that were running through his mind. He was only fourteen… not seventeen. What happened to the so-called provisions that the Ministry added?!
He was unsure of who it was, but he felt a hand shove him forward. He tripped and landed in the floor. The hall echoed in laughter and Harry felt his face go hot.
His legs trembled as he climbed back to his feet, he couldn’t even recall being led to the Champions’ Chambers. His heart was pounding hard. He wanted to be sick. Harry knew without a doubt that he wouldn’t survive.
How was he supposed to match students that were in their seventh year and seventeen? He was only fourteen in his fourth year…
That was when he was ambushed by the Headmasters and Headmistress of each school, including his own.
Eyes just watched on, observing him as each Headmaster demanded an answer. Not a single one interfered, not even the other Hogwarts’ champion.
Harry’s body was shaken as Dumbledore demanded to know if he had entered his name into the Goblet of Fire.
The young Gryffindor could feel his stomach churning as he denied their accusations. That was when he lost his stomach and it happened to aimed at the Hogwarts’ Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore.
“Albus! That is quite enough!” Minerva McGonagall had enough. “You have your answers!”
Once nobody was holding onto him, Harry fell to the floor, just shaking his head.
Harry soon felt a hand on his shoulder that began to ease him back onto his feet.
“Easy does it, Mr. Potter,” a kind voice said in his ear, familiar. Gently guiding him out of the door, back into the Great Hall, which was now empty.
It was probably a good thing that Minerva was there to guide him back to the dormitories. For she sorely doubted that he would have made safely there himself. But she considered her employer and the other Headmasters’ action unacceptable in her eyes. Harry Potter was still a child, her student.
“Straight to bed, Mr. Potter,” Minerva ordered as he said the password for Gryffindor Tower.
Harry quickly nodded his head, thankful that he wasn’t going to be sick again. Now aware of who it was that helped him back to the seventh floor. He didn’t know what to say to his Head of House, but thanks were shown in his eyes.
Harry had ignored everything after that, knowing that things would have been said towards him. But he still caught the occasional word of being called cheat. It felt like second year all over again. But when he woke up the following morning, Ron wasn’t in the dorm. Nobody would meet his eyes.
He squeezes his eyes shut, not wanting the tears to spill. He didn’t know how to fix this… It was still hard to believe the events of the night before.
A Champion…
He was going to die.
Harry didn’t know what to think about that. He knew that the tasks would be dangerous and now he had to partake in them.
The Gryffindor dashed towards the bathroom, trying to force himself to stay calm. A few tears leaked out and Harry had to turn away from the mirror. Dumping his clothes, he decided to go for a shower.
The water was hot, and it helped him feel slightly better and it didn’t look like he had shed a few tears. He didn’t understand why this always happened to him. He didn’t want to die…
After the shower and the water was cut off, he was thankful that nobody tried to steal his robes. At this point, he wouldn’t put it past them.
Once he was dressed, Harry made his way back to the dorm to find it empty. He supposed he should have expected that as he made his way downstairs to the Common Room.
He was surprised to see that Professor McGonagall was there. Waiting for him?
There were whispers all around them and Harry tried to block them out.
“Professor?”
“Mr. Potter, if you will follow me,” she ordered.
Confused but Harry followed her. The Common Room had been reduced to silence, watching them. Knowing that noise would pick up as soon as the portrait was closed.
He didn’t stop walking until they were back in Professor’s McGonagall’s classroom before using a side door. That was when Harry realized that it must be her office, which he had never been to.
“I am assuming that you know what this conversation is about, Mr. Potter?” Minerva asked.
Harry gave her a hesitant nod.
“Very well. The circumstances are very unusual that is for sure. But one thing is for certain, despite everything, you are still a TriWizard Champion, Hogwarts second Champion.”
Harry bit his lip, “there’s no way out…”
She shook her head, “the rules are very clear, which unfortunately have not been changed or altered since the last tournament. The Goblet of Fire is a very ancient artifact and will not recognize the new rule that had been put in place. Just like the other Champions, you are required to participate in each individual task with no aid given to you.”
Harry fists clenched as he turned his back. He wanted so badly to say fuck that and whatever the Ministry says. But he knew he didn’t have a choice. He could feel the tears coming again. It didn’t matter if he never did it, he was bound to the Goblet of Fire until the Tournament was over with.
“Mr. Potter, if there was a way… I would not allow this. But I am afraid this is out of my hands. There are very few exceptions. I just wanted to let you know what happened after the selection last night. It was a very… unexpected night. Though I highly recommend that you read this,” Minerva’s words were slightly comforting as she placed a very old book into his hands.
Harry shook his head before leaving the office. He didn’t want the professor he respected to see him almost lose it. There had to be a way out of this, he was almost willing to do anything. He didn’t want to know what the tasks were. But he clutched at the book he was given as if it was his lifeline.
It was quite old; you could tell from the bindings. The book was black with very faint inscription on the front.
Le Tournemente.
From there, Harry decided to go to the library. It was only Sunday, so he was thankful he didn’t have to focus on classes quite yet.
There the whispers picked up; they weren’t loud. Given they were a mix of Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs, they didn’t want to be kicked out by Madam Pince. There was a snippet of words that he heard.
Cheat, Boy-Who-Lies, fraud, show-off, attention seeker...
Harry tried to ignore the whispers around him. He knew he would get judgmental looks, but they looked like they wanted to curse him.
But the library felt the safest place right now.
With that in mind, he flicked open the small book. There was maybe ten pages or less in it. The first few were about the tournament and how it got started. Then it went into regulations about the tournament and what each task was about. It was a slight torn page that held the rules.
His eyes studied the page, there wasn’t much there. It spoke about when a champion was chosen when their magic was matured. But it looked like the only way out would be to die… He didn’t like the sound of that.
Then something caught his eye, the words were smudged and hard to read.
Champione with child…
Harry’s jaw dropped.
So, the only way to get out of the tournament was either die or be knocked up?!
He didn’t like either option. But he wasn’t a witch… He didn’t know what to do…
Harry’s face fell into his hands, desperately urging himself not to panic.
That was when he heard someone pull a seat up to him.
Harry glanced up to see someone younger than him sit across from him. It was a witch with blonde hair.
“Huhh—” was the only response Harry could muster.
“You looked like you need a friend. Friends are always nice,” her voice gave a dreamy state to it.
Harry gave a hesitant nod to that; he didn’t know how to respond to that. He was still expecting her to say something more… mean. Everyone else had.
She suddenly looked up, “looks like the Nargles are up to their mischief. I wish you and your child a good day.”
Harry blinked and then she was gone. A wave of confusion hit him, who was that. Child? He didn’t have a child… It wasn’t like he had been with a witch or wizard. Could it be possible… He didn’t know but he planned to look it up.