Chosen by the Flames
As night fell, Harry and Draco left the workshop. That very evening, during dinner, the champions would be announced, and they could not miss it, even if they were truly focused on finishing the machine Nicolas had asked them to build.
And, of course, two of the companions who were supposed to help them had vanished, so they had been forced to do all the work on their own.
Even so, they did not seem particularly bothered by it.
As soon as they stepped outside, they noticed the Beauxbatons students, who appeared to be making last minute adjustments before heading to the castle. They were lined up neatly within the fences, while Madame Maxime spoke to them in French, telling them things like they should mind their manners and remain polished, orderly, and elegant at all times.
"It's the villain and his sidekick," a voice suddenly said behind them, making both of them turn around.
There stood Gabrielle and Fleur, the latter hiding an amused smile behind her hand.
"Gaby, that's not quite right. They're the villain and his henchman," Fleur corrected gently, casting a teasing glance at Draco and Harry.
"Why would I be the henchman?" Draco asked, a hint of annoyance showing on his face.
"Oh, but I never said who was the henchman and who was the villain," Fleur replied playfully.
Draco looked at her for a moment.
"Well, look at that. The stalker making fun of me. Who would have guessed?" he said in a dry, sarcastic tone.
"Stalker?" Gabrielle asked, not quite understanding the word.
"It's a person who—" Harry began, ready to explain with a soft smile.
"Aaah!" Fleur exclaimed loudly to stop him, earning a mocking look from both Harry and Draco.
"Ahem… I already said that was a misunderstanding. It wasn't like that," she added quickly, a bit embarrassed.
"Yeah… I'm sure the Carrow parents used the same excuse, and now they're husband and wife. And if I remember correctly, they're second cousins," Draco commented flatly.
"Oh wow, I didn't know that," Harry said, playing along.
"Yes. And they didn't even have to change their surname, since they shared it," Draco added.
Meanwhile, Gabrielle looked genuinely confused, clearly not processing what they were talking about. Fleur, on the other hand, seemed to have had enough.
"All right, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything. That's it. Stop joking about it," she said, giving up.
"Maybe, but I don't mind being considered a villain," Harry replied with amusement.
"And Draco's face really does suit the role of a henchman, don't you think?" he added, glancing at him.
"Hm. Taking over the world doesn't sound bad, but I don't like the word 'henchman'. Something like supreme commander sounds better," Draco said, nodding seriously.
"I suppose that works. Though you'll have to compete for the title with Red," Harry replied with a grin as the two of them started walking toward the castle.
Fleur watched them leave, well aware that those two boys were truly petty, even over simple jokes.
"Ugh…" she muttered, fully aware of what was coming. Something she had already experienced when they had been exchange students at Beauxbatons.
Gabrielle looked at her, confused.
"Gaby, don't get close to them. They're evil," Fleur said with exaggerated seriousness.
Gabrielle nodded with the same seriousness.
…
"What is that smell?" Draco suddenly said as they walked across the grounds toward the castle.
Harry looked around for a moment, trying to follow the scent, until he saw Hagrid coming out of his hut and practically running toward the Beauxbatons students. Or rather, straight toward Madame Maxime.
The source of the smell was easy to identify. It was not unpleasant, just strong, intense, and clearly applied in excessive amounts.
And the reason for it was obvious.
It was almost funny to watch. Hagrid was wearing a full suit made of leather that, according to him, was surely high class. Or at least, that was what he believed. His hair was neatly slicked back, his beard carefully trimmed, and there was even a small flower tucked into his front pocket. Completely groomed. Something extremely rare for him.
He approached Madame Maxime with a foolish smile. She smiled back when she saw him, though for a moment she covered her nose, clearly hit by the perfume. Even so, she smiled and helped him straighten his tie.
Hagrid turned red instantly.
"Poor guy," Draco murmured when he saw him.
Harry smiled.
"As long as he's happy," he added.
And the two of them continued on their way to the castle.
As they got closer, they crossed paths with the Durmstrang students. Viktor Krum walked at the front alongside Karkaroff, while the others followed a bit behind. They passed right in front of them before entering the castle, without even sparing them a glance.
"That guy still gives me a bad feeling," Draco muttered, walking behind them, though at a slower pace to avoid entering alongside the group.
"Karkaroff?" Harry asked, looking ahead.
"I'm pretty sure I've seen him in the past, talking with my father," Draco added, his expression turning more serious.
Harry looked at him for a moment but said nothing. The two of them walked in silence until they reached the Great Hall, where they joined the Ravenclaw table. Hermione and Daphne were already seated there, as if nothing had happened.
"Did you finish cleaning up?" Daphne asked with a mocking smile.
Draco chose not to respond. Harry, on the other hand, was too focused, smiling amusedly at his mother, who was holding Billy in her arms. The baby still had an annoyed little expression on his face. The same one Harry used to have whenever he was transformed.
Tommy, meanwhile, was in Perenelle's arms, who seemed to be playing with him, tickling him gently.
For a moment, Harry's gaze met Sirius's. His godfather returned a smile that, for some reason, felt different. Harry narrowed his eyes when he noticed it, but Sirius quickly looked away, turning his attention elsewhere.
The food had already been served, and it was as extravagant as the day before, perhaps even more so. The Beauxbatons students once again joined the Ravenclaw table, drawing visible disappointment from the other houses, while the Durmstrang students settled in alongside Slytherin.
It was hard not to notice that. While most of the Beauxbatons students were pretty girls and attractive young men, the Durmstrang students, though fewer in number, also had their share of rather handsome boys. However, it was clear that Karkaroff had focused far more on those who looked imposing and strong, unlike Madame Maxime. As a result, nearly all the glances directed toward Durmstrang inevitably ended up focusing solely on Viktor, who was likely the most attractive of the entire group.
Still, returning to the dinner, although all the students were eating, most of them were clearly far more focused on Sirius finishing his damn meal already. The tension was thick in the air. The headmaster, of course, seemed to notice it, and even appeared to enjoy mocking it. Every time he was just about to bring a bite to his mouth, he would suddenly lower his spoon to turn and speak to someone. If it was not Narcissa, it was Susan or Pandora. Then he would flash a teasing smile at the students, as if he were doing it on purpose.
Until Selene finally seemed to grow genuinely irritated and said something to him under her breath, which almost caused them to start arguing again. It ended with McGonagall shooting them a sharp, stern look, as if they were both nothing more than misbehaving students.
At last, the golden plates vanished, returning to their place of origin. Sirius stood up from his seat, followed by Madame Maxime and Karkaroff.
The silence that fell over the Great Hall was absolute, heavy with expectation. In a corner slightly removed from the teachers' table, almost as if it were intentional, stood Ludo Bagman, Barty Crouch, and Dumbledore. They were so far to the side that most of the students barely paid them any attention.
"Very well. The Goblet of Fire is almost ready. When I announce the name of a champion, they will stand up, take the parchment bearing their name, and enter the room next door," Sirius said, pointing toward a door behind the teachers' table.
"When the three have been chosen, they will receive their first instructions," he added, drawing his wand and giving it a gentle flick.
At once, all the candles on the ceiling and throughout the hall went out in a single instant, plunging the room into sudden darkness. Only the candles inside the carved pumpkins and the Goblet, now placed in front of the teachers' table, illuminated the hall. Its blue flame continued to burn strongly.
The silence was so complete that if someone had dropped a pin, everyone would likely have heard it. All eyes remained fixed on the Goblet, even if the bluish light was slightly uncomfortable to look at.
Suddenly, red sparks began to burst forth. Then a golden flame surged upward and spat something into the air. Sirius caught it on the fly with quick reflexes, before anyone could see it clearly, though everyone knew perfectly well what it was.
With the parchment slightly singed in his hand, Sirius opened it slowly, feeding the tension even more.
"Viktor Krum, of Durmstrang," he announced in a clear voice, though for a brief instant his face twisted into a faint grimace of annoyance, which caused Karkaroff to frown as well.
The Great Hall exploded into applause and excited shouts. Viktor rose calmly, walked toward Sirius, and took the parchment.
"Bravo, Viktor! I knew it would be you!" Karkaroff shouted, managing to make his voice heard even above the celebration.
Viktor glanced at his headmaster and gave a slight nod before passing through the door into the adjoining room.
When he disappeared, the silence fell once more with the same intensity. All eyes returned to the Goblet.
It did not take long for it to ignite again with a reddish glow. Another burst of flame emerged, and Sirius caught the next parchment just as swiftly.
This time, his expression seemed somewhat disappointed, as if the name was not the one he had been expecting.
"The champion of Beauxbatons… Luciel Delacour," he announced.
The hall filled with cheers once again. Luciel stood up with an elegant smile, walked toward Sirius, and took her parchment. She greeted the other students with a small wave before disappearing through the same door.
The Beauxbatons students seemed to have expected it. Their smiles were measured, accepting it naturally.
A few seconds later, the silence returned for the third time, and now it was even heavier. Only one champion remained. And that champion would be from Hogwarts.
The moment the next red flame appeared, Sirius almost plunged his hand into the fire to retrieve the name as quickly as possible.
Harry watched his godfather with growing unease.
It did not take long for him to understand why.
Sirius's overly wide smile only made the feeling worse.
"From Hogwarts… Harry Potter," he announced enthusiastically, looking straight at his godson.
Harry's face hardened instantly. His expression turned cold, irritated. It almost felt as if the temperature around him had dropped. Some hesitated before applauding, but they eventually did, carried along by the general excitement.
"Come on, Harry. You're the champion of Hogwarts," Sirius said with genuine excitement, forcefully ignoring both the murderous glare of his godson and that of Professor Wanda Maximoff, which seemed to be boring into the back of his head.
Harry let out an annoyed sigh. It was obvious who the culprit was. Even so, he stood up. More out of respect, so as not to embarrass Sirius in front of everyone, though he had many things to say to him later. He took a single step forward, then suddenly stopped, and looked toward the Goblet with one eyebrow raised.
The Goblet burst into red flames once more.
Confusion spread throughout the hall. Sirius turned around, startled. This time, with slower reflexes, he let the parchment fly a bit higher before it drifted down slowly. He caught it with a puzzled expression, read the name, and raised an eyebrow.
"Draco Malfoy," he said.
He immediately turned toward Narcissa, who was frowning deeply. Then, all eyes shifted toward Draco. And toward Harry, who was still standing right beside him.
Draco, completely stunned, looked at Harry, plunging the entire hall into total silence. The flames of the Goblet were the only thing still moving in the whole Great Hall.