It was nary a week before you found yourself back in your place in the great hall, awaiting the choosing of the champions. "Sit down please. And now the moment you've all been waiting for, the champions selection!" Dumbledore approached the blue flame and it glowed red. A name

came out and the room was aflutter with nervous jitters. "The Durmstrang champion is... Viktor Krum!"

"Aha! I knew it! My boy!" Karkaroff cheered.

"I think we all figured." You chuckled with Rolanda. Then another name came out.

"The champion from Beauxbatons... Fleur Delacour!" The Beauxbatons girls cheered as the half-- no, you had found out only quarter--Veela walked up. Another name came out as the cheers quieted. "The Hogwarts champion... Cedric Diggory!" You cheered very loudly, he had been your student for several years now. Cedric was an absolute joy. You beamed bright white teeth with joy as Severus took note and clapped accordingly. "Excellent! we now have our three champions! But in the end only one will go down in history. Only one will hoist this chalice of champions, this vessel of victory the tri-wizard cup!" People cheered, but suddenly the goblet glowed red once more and another name flew out. Dumbledore caught it and read. Everyone was deathly silent, concerned about what would happen next. "Harry Potter. Harry Potter?"

"No... No." Hagrid muttered next to you loudly. It covered up Severus' dissension.

"Harry Potter!" Dumbledore was furious, all could tell. Harry slowly walked up as Dumbledore gave him the paper.

Immediately, Dumbledore turned and motioned for the professors and Bartemius Crouch to join him in a separate room. You suffered from second-hand anxiety as your nose turned a periwinkle as the nervous feeling invaded your brain. Severus could easily guess what this color meant.

"You are not in trouble, dear." He put a hand to your lower back as you both walked towards the room. "Fret not."

"Harry, did you put your name in the goblet of fire?!" Dumbledore was on Harry like a fly on honey as soon as the door closed.

"No, sir!"

"Did you ask one of the older students to do it for you!?"

"No, sir!"

"You're absolutely sure?"

"Yes, sir."

The giantess of Beauxbaton was the first to protest. "Well, of course he is lying."

Professor Moody spoke next. "The hell he is! The goblet of fire is an exceptionally powerful magical object; only an exceptionally powerful conjurer could have hoodwinked it. Magic way beyond the talents of a fourth year."

Karkaroff protested next. "You seem to have given this a fair bit of thought Mad-Eye"

"It was once my job to think as dark wizards do, Karkaroff, perhaps you remember." You looked at Severus and he tapped his left forearm-- it seems Karkaroff shared the same dark past as the potions master.

"That doesn't help Alastor. Leave this to you Barty."

Bartemius spoke nervously. "The rules are absolute, the goblet of fire constitutes a binding magical contract. Mr. Potter has no choice, he is as of tonight... a tri-wizards champion."