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Chapter Eighteen: Aftershock

The moment his name was called, Harry wondered if he done some really horrible things in a past life to warrant what had happened. Dumbledore looked around for Harry who was slowly rising to his feet, gritting his teeth before walking towards the corridor where the other champions were gathering.

Harry walked towards the corridor, not trusting himself to speak because Harry knew he would blow up and start screaming at the first person. He held his breath and counted to ten mentally, it wouldn't do any good to blow up the Great Hall with a super charged burst of accidental magic. Harry walked over to the door, but it blew open so Harry could walk through. He saw the three champions, the three older champions who were qualified for the tournament due to being of age, who were definitely deserved more to compete for this honor than Harry did. Not that Harry thought it was impossible for him to win, but it wouldn't matter if Harry won the tournament, as it would be a mere footnote tacked onto the history of his storied life just far.

"What is it, do they want us back at ze Hall?" asked Fleur Delacour, bringing Harry out of his thoughts of the tournament. She had obviously thought he came to deliver a message of some sort.

Harry opened his mouth but he was spared of making some sarcastic retort as Ludo Bagman came walking into the corridor flagged by Crouch, Dumbledore, Madam Maxime, Karkaroff, Snape, and Moody.

"Well, this is rather unusual, but it did happen," said Bagman in a bright cheerful voice, after all, he didn't have to compete in the Tournament and risk his neck. "Gentlemen, lady, allow me to introduce you to your fellow fourth champion, Harry Potter."

"Very funny joke Meester Bagman but you just can't be serious, allowing zis little boy to compete in the tournament," said Fleur.

"Little boy!" exclaimed Harry feeling his temper rising to a slight, near lethal level. "I've fought more profound horrors than most in this room put together with the possible except of Moody and Dumbledore. You would probably curl up in a corner and sob like a little baby, girl if you had face half of what I fought..."

"Yes, we can conclude this little debate later, but are you saying, Mr. Potter has to compete in the Triwizard Tournament," said Snape. "If I'm not mistaken, underage students were supposed to be kept out and Potter shouldn't be allowed in this tournament..."

"Severus, the boy has obviously bended the rules, finding a way in the Goblet of Fire," said Karkaroff. "Quite frankly this is a lunacy that two Hogwarts champions are allowed to compete..."

"I never wanted in this Tournament, I didn't enter myself in this Tournament," said Harry angrily, feeling his temper rising before he just erupted at everyone standing in that corridor. "THE FACT REMAINS I DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT THIS WHOLE ACCURSED TOURNAMENT! I HAVE NOTHING TO GAIN COMPETING IN IT!"

"I have heard of the boy's exploits and I quite agree that Mr. Potter has nothing to gain from competing in the Triwizard Tournament, but he sure as hell has something to lose," said Moody.

"Surely he is lying, anyone would compete in it. This tournament is an honor many would die for..." started Fleur but Harry cut her off.

"Perhaps someone is hoping I'd die for it," said Harry. "Or perhaps this is another attempt for certain people to attempt to manipulate me for their own gains."

At these last words, Harry gave Dumbledore an accusing look that Snape looked amused at for a brief expression but quickly settled his face into its usual cold, neutral expression.

"Harry, it doesn't appear as if you entered yourself in the tournament or you asked anyone else to enter you in the tournament for that matter," said Dumbledore who looked confused as to how this happened and who entered Harry. For once, Dumbledore wasn't involved in a manipulative scheme and it was eating the old man up inside, attempting to figure out what was happening.

"Whether he entered himself or not is irrelevant, Dumbledore, the fact remains that since Mr. Potter's name came out of the Goblet of Fire, he is bound to compete in the Tournament by a Magically Binding Contract," said Crouch. "He must compete just like the others, this is highly irregular but this seems to be the most probable course of action..."

"Then I demand that the other two schools get another champion, it is only fair," said Karkaroff in a sullen voice.

"The Goblet of Fire doesn't work that way, it won't reignite to the start of the next Tournament," said Bagman. "So, unfortunately we are stuck at the current situation."

"There won't be another Tournament, as Durmstrang will not be competing after this fiasco," said Karkaroff. "After all your promises of International Magical Cooperation, they just got spit on with the deck being stacked against us with two Hogwarts Champions. Why I have half the mind to leave right now!"

"Karkaroff you know that threat was empty," said Moody in a low growl. "I doubt that even a piece of cowardly slime such as yourself would abandon your champion right now. Potter is correct, it seems as if someone wants him to die and this Tournament would be a perfect opportunity to do his name. Someone altered the magical properties of the Goblet of Fire to accept four schools as opposed to three and entered Potter's name underneath the fourth school."

"And what proof of that is there Moody?" asked Karkaroff in a challenging voice.

"My history is all the proof I need!" snapped Harry unable to keep his tongue any longer. "First year, I'm nearly killed by a vaporized form of Lord Voldemort, who was a parasite on the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher Professor Quirrell. Second year, I am haunted by a past memory of Tom Riddle in a diary and I nearly die at his hands, not to mention Riddle using another student to control a Basilisk which petrified half of the school. If it wasn't for a creative bit of thinking, we all would have been doomed. Oh third year, this is lovely. Crazed escaped convicts after me, Dementors that seemed to go after me for no good reason, I nearly get killed several times. Then most recently at the Quidditch World Cup, I nearly get ripped in half by a very powerful Dark Curse by Bellatrix Lestrange, who still remains at large to this day..."

"Well, you've done a good job on this one teaching him in your class Moody, as he seems to be about as paranoid as you are," remarked Karkaroff in an offhand manner. "An interesting quality of Defense Against the Dark Arts creatures, one that seems to see something sinister in everything that happens..."

"There is something sinister at hand, Karkaroff, it could have only take an extremely powerful Confundus Charm to bamboozle the Goblet," said Moody. "After all, it was my job to think like Dark Wizards, as you should very well know..."

"Alastor," said Dumbledore in a warning voice. "That is quite enough. What done is done and there is no way to change it. I'm afraid Mr. Potter will have to compete in this Tournament and if there is someone dark behind this, I have utmost confidence that he would be brought to justice..."

"Nevertheless, we will investigate this manner and perhaps find out how Mr. Potter was entered in the tournament but as of right now, he has to compete due to the Magically Binding Contract," said Crouch in a tired, final tone of voice.

"Well, Barty does know the rulebook back and front, so he would know if there was any way around this problem," said Bagman. "So Harry will just have to do the best he can when competing in this tournament."

"Indeed," said Harry in a dark voice, he had a feeling something quite fishy was going around. Harry had several theories but he didn't want to act upon them until someone slipped up just a little bit and perhaps revealed a motivation as to why they were doing this.

"Now before we go, Barty, would you like to give the instructions for our champions?" prompted Bagman.

"Ah yes, instructions," said Crouch looking extremely tired and a bit ill before turning his attention towards the champions. "The first task will test your daring and your creativity to compete without forewarning towards what is ahead. Therefore, you shall not know what you are going up against until you're about to compete. Now, that is all settled, I really need to return to the Ministry."

"Come on, Barty, it's all happening at Hogwarts, I'm staying," said Bagman. "This place is more amusing than the Ministry..."

"No, Ludo, I have much work I need to do at the Ministry and I left young Weatherby in charge," said Crouch. "He is a hard worker, but a little too overenthusiastic at times to be left in charge for an extended period of time."

At that moment, Crouch left and since Harry knew he wasn't needed, he left shortly after to go to the Slytherin House Common Room with thoughts in his mind about how this could have happened and what he needed to do to prevent from undergoing a horrible answer.

As he arrived outside the Slytherin Common Room, Ginny, Daphne, Theodore, and Hermione was standing waiting for him.

"It's happened, I have to compete," said Harry in a defeated voice. "Something about a binding magical contract..."

"But, you didn't put your name in, Harry, so surely you're bound to do nothing," said Hermione.

"I tried to say that but they refused to listen to reason," said Harry. "So, I have to compete, I don't know what else to say..."

"Harry, I'm surprised, you don't seem as mad as I thought you would be," said Daphne.

"Oh, I'm mad, it's just that I'm attempting to calm my nerves, because I've had accidents happen with my super charged bursts of accidental magic," said Harry. "I don't want to hurt anyone who doesn't deserve it..."

"Harry, your magic is stronger than it was last year," said Hermione. "How did you get that magical block off, I thought..."

"Hermione, don't ask questions you aren't prepared to hear the answers to," said Ginny in a warning tone of voice.

"You know," said Hermione.

"It isn't her place to tell you and she's right Hermione, don't ask anything you aren't prepared to handle the answers of," said Harry. "I have my secrets; one's that too many people already know...I've already said too much."

"When will we know, Harry," said Theodore. "What exactly are you keeping from us?"

"I'll let you know if Voldemort ever comes back to full power," said Harry. "I just hope it won't be too late but once you know, you'll understand why I am reluctant to share this information with you. This is something that Dumbledore doesn't even know and I don't want him to know it until the time is right. This isn't like my family and their unique circumstances, because Dumbledore already knew about that when I told you all. This can't be leaked."

"Okay, Harry, I trust your judgment to tell us when we need to know," said Hermione. "But we need to talk about this Tournament and how we..."

"We'll do that later," said Harry, pulling out his Portus-Amulet. "I need to make a very important mirror call then I'm going to New York to pay a visit to my family and tell them about this new development. I'll be back late tomorrow night."

Ginny nodded, she had a feeling that Harry was going to tell his mother about this new development and Ginny had a feeling that Lily would not be happy when she heard that someone had entered her son into the Triwizard Tournament.

In the chamber deep underneath the Slytherin library, Harry pulled out his mirror, he definitely didn't need anyone to overhear this communications.

"Mum, Mum, are you there?" asked Harry, waiting for the mirror to come to life but it was full of fog for a minute before Lily Potter's tired face appeared in the mirror.

"Harry, what's wrong?" asked Lily.

"The Triwizard Tournament, that's what's wrong," said Harry. "Namely the fact that someone entered me into it..."

"What!" exclaimed Lily. "The Triwizard...I thought there was going to be...surely they wouldn't allow you to compete, Harry? What did they say?"

"No, Crouch said if someone's name came out of the Goblet, they were bound to compete in the Tournament by a magically binding contract," said Harry.

"They must have changed it," said Lily frowning. "It was stupid to change it, because the original format for the tournament was that the names would come out of the Goblet and then they would have the champions sign the magically binding contract if nothing like what happened to you took place. Harry, this is bad and I see Voldemort being involved somewhere. After the rumors I heard on my travels with the Death Eater activities at the Quidditch Cup..."

"They weren't rumors, there were Death Eaters at the Quidditch World Cup," said Harry.

"It's happening, he's getting stronger, Harry be careful and train in any and all forms of defensive magic to prepare for the worst," said Lily. "I'd also suggest researching the Dark Arts if you can, because you need every advantage you can get when taking on Voldemort because he’s not going to be using disarming curses and tickling hexes, rather he’s going to go straight for the most violent curses imaginable."

"I understand but why do you seem so stressed, is there something I should know?" asked Harry.

"This isn't something I can explain right now, I need to research another manner other than the Horcruxes now but it is happening, if this comes to pass..." said Lily before trailing off as if she stopped herself from saying something that she shouldn't have. "Just be careful Harry and keep a look out for anything suspicious."

"Okay," said Harry.

"I really need to go, Harry, I still have another six shelves to look through in this library before I move onto the next one," said Lily. "There has to be a written record of how to reverse the Horcrux rituals and reunify the soul. Anyway, be careful Harry, good bye."

"Bye, Mum," said Harry as Lily's face disappeared from the two way mirror.

Lily sighed from the magical library she was researching in. These texts were hidden deep in a cavern under ground and the only way to get in his by apparition so it wasn't like a Muggle could get in. If Voldemort came back to power, then she would have to tell Harry both the real Prophecy and the fairy tale that Trelawney concocted. Lily dreaded the day that Voldemort would return to full power, as the next war with Voldemort could tear the Magical world apart, killing many, and leaving only a select few to survive. After the next war with Voldemort, there might not be a Magical World, whether Voldemort won or not but Lily was extremely reluctant to put this kind of pressure on her son.

Harry put his mirror away and grabbed his Portus-Amulet, thinking about the warehouse above the lair. Harry tapped his wand to the Portus-Amulet before feeling a pull, causing his body to fly through time and space before landing in New York in the warehouse out the corner of Eastman and Laird. Harry pressed a few buttons on the elevator, perhaps a day away from Hogwarts would do him good, as Harry had a feeling if he stayed tomorrow, he would either be worshipped or called arrogant for wanting a little more fame. Truthfully, Harry didn’t know what would be worse, but he wasn’t going to worry about it for one day. He needed to tell his brothers and Master Splinter this new, rather disturbing development of getting entered in the Triwizard Tournament.