The room was warmly lit, the embers of the fireplace cast a happy glow across the room. However, in the fury of her emotion, the temperature dropped at least twenty degrees, and Harry prayed the others did not notice the otherworldly ravens flying out of the shadows which stretched far beyond their proportions. Roosting on the rafters, their beady green eyes flickered with the fiery blaze of fiendfyre and unspoken promise.
The tension in the room was thick, and Ludo Bagman began to chuckle nervously. Crouch did not react to her words nor her loss of control, although the man looked so ill that Harry had to wonder if he was fully aware of what was happening. Surely the others were not about to let a senile old man dictate his fate? He tightened his grip on his mama's hand, trying to assure her that everything was going to be just fine, but then Moody began to laugh from his spot at the door. Harry feared for the man's life as mama turned her heated gaze in his direction.
"What is so funny?" She demanded.
"Nothing! I agree with you! If Potter put his name in the Goblet, why did it come out twice? Someone was desperate to make sure he got picked. The Goblet is an extremely powerful artifact. A fourteen-year-old would not nearly be powerful enough to trick it into spitting out his name twice. Someone else put his name in."
"But who would want to do that?" Maxime said.
"Who indeed, who indeed," Moody cackled. "Any ideas, boy?"
"Well, I dunno. If I had to guess, it was probably Voldemort." Everyone flinched at the name, and Fudge sputtered in anger.
"Even if someone put Mr. Potter's name in," Fudge said loudly before they could discuss that topic. "It does - not - matter. Again. The rules dictate that he must compete. This is a great honor, Mr. Potter, I'm sure you will come to realize that."
"Show me these rules!" Mama ordered.
"Madame," Fudge puffed out his chest importantly and thrust a finger at her. "The Triwizard Tournament has been around for hundreds of years. You won't find some loophole to free Potter from the consequences of his actions."
"That!" Mama snapped, "will be up to our solicitor to decide. Harry's godfather, Sirius Black, has been rather successful at suing the Ministry. I'm certain he'll be able to recommend someone for us." Mama towered over the shorter man, and Harry wondered for a moment what the consequences would be if she strangled the Minister of Magic to death in front of so many witnesses. Fudge, realizing what she was contemplating, shut up. His face turned red, then purple and he took a step back.
Crouch said in a calm voice. "The Goblet will not accept any other champions. If he backs out, he will lose his magic."
Mama nearly growled in her anger, her wand appearing in her hands instantly and Harry tugged her away from the Ministry officials.
Dumbledore stepped between them.
"No matter the circumstances, it appears that at this time, Mr. Potter will have to compete." He said in a wise tone. Harry felt mama's nails dig into his skin. "My concern remains the nature of Mr. Potter's name coming from the Goblet twice. There are no rules for such an occasion. Does Mr. Potter technically qualify as two champions?"
Crouch considered this for a tense moment.
"This second slip, did it list a school?"
"No, simply Mr. Potter's name." Dumbledore pulled the four contestant's papers from his robe and the group leaned forward to examine them.
"Neither of those is my handwriting," Harry complained, looking at the fancy cursive on the Hogwarts slip and a shaky, looping script on the other.
"He is a singular contestant," Crouch announced. "The second slip is incomplete. If he was listed under another school, then perhaps but -"
"If you're making up the rules now, then I fail to see how you can't keep him from the entire tournament," mama argued. "There is obvious evidence of foul play here."
"Madame, no matter if Mr. Potter put his name in or not, no matter if this handwriting is his or not, no matter if this is foul play or not, the boy has been entered. The Goblet does not care if he entered his name himself or is unwilling to join. Unless his name is not Harry Potter, he has been entered into the contract regardless of his or your opinion. If he forfeits now, he will lose his magic."
There was a moment of somber contemplation. Harry looked over at his two competitors to see that they were sizing him up as well. He then turned his gaze to the uncaring faces of the officiants, to Bagman who looked excited about the whole thing, to Dumbledore who just looked resigned. To mama, who was usually terrified of the Ministry, always droning on about safety and keeping their heads down - fully prepared to do unspeakable things to Fudge and his corpse if the idiot dared speak one more word. Her concern and anger so strong that everyone was shivering as though they'd been caught in a blizzard.
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