"I didn't put my name in," Harry said fiercely. "I promised mama and Sirius that I would have a quiet year. This is the exact opposite of that!" He took a moment to steady his breathing. His voice, which had been rising in anger, dropped down again. "They reckon it might be that Crouch guy, the Ministry officiant. He's dripping in Dark magic, they think maybe he was imperiused by Voldemort."
Ron's face went red at that thought and he dipped his head in shame.
"Blimey."
"Oh Harry," Luna whispered. "I'm so sorry. What are you going to do? We've heard that they're having you compete?"
"There doesn't seem to be any way out of it," he said. "We're going to rely on my special talents and they don't want me to be alone with any of the tournament people, in case they try to kill me directly."
"Is that likely?" Hermione asked, her face pale with concern.
"I dunno. Mama thinks they wouldn't have gone through the trouble to put my name in if they were in a position to kill me. Or this could all be related to Voldemort's plan to return to his full form which requires me to be alive. All I can do is be diligent and not rouse any further suspicion."
"This is about as far from laying low as it could get," Luna said. Hermione nodded and stared off into space, her mind whirling away as she tried to find a solution to all Harry's problems.
"Ron?" He asked with hesitance. Ron was being awfully quiet.
"Sorry. I know you didn't put your name in. It's just - how come everything cool always happens to you?" He complained.
"Ronald! Harry could die, and you're jealous!"
"Hermione," Harry interrupted. "It's alright. Look, being in the Tournament itself is exciting, separated from all the potential murder bits. But I didn't plan for any of this, Ron! I didn't ask to be famous. I didn't ask for my parents to die and for Voldemort to become obsessed with me - and now I find out there's a prophecy about me and I have to kill him! I didn't even ask to be a necromancer.
I'd like to win this tournament because I haven't done much to make myself famous, it's all been thrust upon me. I haven't earned anything, or gotten to pick anything - and that isn't fair! That part of it isn't nice, it's dreadful and frustrating and might end up with me getting murdered!
I want to be recognized for my own worth, and I want that for all of you, too. I know you're going to win the dueling tournament, Ron. I know you are. You've beaten a Death Eater in a duel! And I promise I'll use any opportunity to brag about you. I know people joke that you are my minions, but you're my best friends."
"Hey, I'm proud to be your minion," Ron said, shooting a brief smile Harry's way. He continued in a somber tone, "I've never thought of it that way. It makes sense. Sorry, Harry."
Luna sniffled and pulled them all into a group hug. Harry knew, that despite all the shit he was dealing with, his wonderful friends and family would be right there beside him the whole time. And that would be enough.
Harry's enlistment into the Tournament was controversial at best. The problem wasn't so much that he "cheated" more so that the upper years felt like they'd been robbed of their chance at glory. People would have been much more accepting of his misfortune had, for example, another student been chosen properly alongside him. Instead, his name came out twice. Which either meant that Harry was double the cheater or twice as better as any other eligible Hogwarts student.
Harry was an absolute weirdo so people were too uneasy to say anything negative to his face. Instead, the student body grumbled their complaints behind closed doors, and the few brave and/or stupid enough to publicly start anything were hexxed by Harry and Ron until the perpetrator was left on the floor crying for their mum.
Malfoy, unbeknownst to them, was entirely unsurprised by the affair and tried to spread the rumor that Harry had sacrificed thirteen puppies to enter his name. This was largely unsuccessful.
Cedric Diggory, the school's preferred choice for champion was pretty much universally liked except by the most uppity of Slytherins. Despite being known as a nice guy, he and the older Hufflepuffs were the most vocal protesters. While not outright mean (they were Hufflepuffs after all) it was impossible to ignore the tension that followed Harry - the stares - the whispers - the gossip.
Harry was under strict orders to not hurt anyone with anything stronger than a tripping jinx, so despite the fact that his swiftly draining patience and sanity begged him to curse even just one child, Harry restrained his urges, barely. It was frustrating, but he had been lectured enough about the danger that he forced the brimming anger down.
That being said, the students were very lucky they were too afraid to talk shit to his face because he was pretty sure it would only take one or two more instances before he ignored logic and morality. Look, if someone 'accidentally' 'fell' into the lake, then how would they find out it was Harry?
.....
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