Chapter Three

Third Attempt

Cups, Rats, and Pettigrew

In London, Amelia Bones was leaning back in her chair and looking at the world worn wizard seated across from her and in spite of knowing the truth, asked: "Arthur, I want you to repeat once again what happened when you went to Moody's."

As Arthur repeated his intervention at Moody's house, she asked: "What about his wand?"

"His wand?" Arthur repeated back.

"What did Moody's wand look like, after all, you had to check it for previous spells." She asked.

Flushing and stuttering a bit, he said "I gave Moody the respect his past has earned him and didn't check it. After all, it's Moody."

"Did you see his wand?" She inquired.

"Yes, yew wood with an ebony handle." Arthur answered as he pulled his reply from his memory of past encounters with Moody.

"That was the wand he was using that day?" She asked sharply. "You saw it that very day?"

"Yes." Arthur replied.

Shaking her head, Amelia Bones said "Arthur, I am going to give you the benefit of the doubt and not write you up for not fulfilling your duties because we both know that the Minister has it out for you, but that statement was a lie. Moody himself when I questioned him this week told me that he had broken his wand before the incident and that he had gotten a new one that he hadn't reported to the Ministry."

Seeing Arthur flushing, she said "I know that you have a lot on your plate, Arthur but for Merlin's sake, start following Ministry guidelines and don't deviate. I don't care if you are sent to investigate Albus Dumbledore himself, follow all of the rules or Fudge will have you fired so fast you won't know what hit you. Do you understand what I am telling you?"

Nodding numbly, Arthur asked if they were finished.

"Yes and Arthur, this conversation had better stay in this office and had better not be repeated to anyone, including your wife or you won't have to worry about Fudge. I will fire you myself." She threatened and watched as he left before tossing down the quill she had been holding.

Something about Moody's story stunk and she was stumped as to what it was. Looking at the other issue she was dealing with. Sirius Black and the lack of a trial.

Standing, she went to visit Minister Fudge and after a conversation that involved a little flattery, a bit of a hint that she was looking into malfeasance on the part of Albus Dumbledore and she had his blanket permission to dig up anything that could be used to discredit the man.

"I might have something but I am going to do a bit more research. Would you mind if I asked about the events that happened at Hogwarts at the end of last year. I will explain why afterwards, because I don't want to influence your memories." she said with a slight smile as she flattered the moron into giving her what she wanted.

Fudge reported on the suddenly missing hippogriff, the caught then escaped killer Sirius Black. He told her how Black had confounded the teenagers into believing his innocence, and how Black had escaped from a seventh story room with a locked door and a guard outside, she asked him a question.

"Cornelius, playing devil's advocate, what if Black was innocent?" She asked.

"No, it's not possible." The Minister stubbornly insisted.

"There was no trial. Dumbledore co-signed the orders from Crouch that Black be taken to Azkaban without a trial. He was also rumored to be the person who performed the fidelius charm on the Potter's cottage, he sealed the Potter's will and he has been ducking questions from me regarding these events." She held her breath and waited for him to deny her statements.

When he sat quietly, she continued "I want him out from Hogwarts. My niece wrote letters about being ordered to stay out of corridors or of dying a violent death. About a troll getting into the school, about a teacher going missing at the end of the year and Potter and several of his friends being awarded last minute points for what the book says was in service to the school."

"Malfoy's son mentioned something about the last minute points taking the cup away from Slytherin." He said reluctantly.

"I have also heard of students being petrified. I asked those down in the Department of Mysteries, they reported only a basilisk could have done that considering they were revived with a Draught made with Mandrake root. An incompetent teacher ends up in St. Mungos after attempting a memory charm on Potter and the Weasley boy, Weasley's youngest child ends up in the infirmary."

"Last year we have the Black situation, and then there are the several incidents this year. If we want answers, the Potter boy has them and now is the time to ask while he is on the outs with the Headmaster and if that means investigating the Black case to get him on our side, I say we do it." She said.

"Let me think about it." Cornelius said and the moment Madam Bones left, he called for his Undersecretary and requested she do some research for him into how the Prophet chose the winners of their annual prize.

"Also get me a list of who receives scholarships from the Ministry for Hogwarts." He stated and when she had left, he thought about it for a moment and then went to his floo and went to see his good friend Lucius.

At Hogwarts, the students from Beauxbaton's arrived with Madam Maxine in their large traveling coach followed by the students from Durmstrang in their underwater vessel supervised by their death eater headmaster.

Harry saw Moody standing nearby and when the wizard noticing he was looking his way, Harry gave him a small bow with a smirk on his face before entering the castle with the intention of preparing his case to take to Amelia Bones the minute he was sure that Moody/Crouch had entered him into the TriWizard tournament.

Fudge listened to what Lucius was telling him and asked why he had been removed from the Hogwarts Board of Governors. "A simple mistake on my part and Dumbledore convinced the board to fire me."

"I want you to be my eyes and ears at Hogwarts." Fudge boldly stated to the man who had been largely responsible for his reelection fund at Gringotts. "Albus is endangering students and this might be a way to get him out of there."

"My pleasure." Malfoy replied with a slight smirk on his face as he suggested that Fudge put his request in writing because he was rather sure that the Headmaster would not be pleased.

Harry listened as for the third time Ron went on about Victor Krum and how he would do just about anything to be able to compete in the TriWizard tournament and how he wished he knew how to get passed the Goblet of Fire.

"Wouldn't you want to enter, Harry?" Seamus asked from his bed as he daydreamed about eternal glory and the things he could buy with a thousand galleons.

"No. Eternal glory? Can any of you name one person who has won this competition?" He asked and then waited for an answer. When there was none, he said: "A thousand galleons isn't worth endangering my life for."

"I bet Hermione who could tell us who won last." Dean said.

"I asked her earlier, she said she would have to look it up. So, who won the last British Quidditch Championship?" Harry inquired.

"Wasps." All four boys replied.

"You just proved my earlier point. If Hermione whose ability to remember all sorts of arcane lists can't recall the last winner of the tournament but all four of you can name who won the last Quidditch championship, how can the winner of the tournament earn eternal glory." Harry stated as reasonably as he could. "Besides, none of us know as many spells and such as seventh year students, we would end up looking like fools and I already get enough help doing that in a regular year here at Hogwarts."

Harry laid down and thought about his plan to ask Hermione to the Yule Ball and how he was going to have to pick up a new set of dress robes. He had not forgotten what Mrs. Weasley had pulled by finding a dress that matched his robes for her daughter.

In between classes the next day and asking a special request of Dobby, Harry ended up being assigned detention in Potions for something that Ron had done. Gritting his teeth as he entered the dark classroom, he found Snape sitting at his desk.

"Sit down, Potter. We need to talk."

After a moment's hesitation, Harry did as ordered and then the man across from him stared into Harry's eyes and found that he couldn't read the teenager. A bit surprised because Potter tended to wear his emotions on his sleeve, Snape said: "Tell me about your summer."

"Excuse me." Harry asked then added "Sir?"

"You have returned to Hogwarts this year an odd mixture of your parents, which is strange." Snape replied as he looked at the boy. "Your grades, your ability to pay attention, your defense of Mr. Malfoy is very much like your mother. Your behavior with Moody, reminds me of your father at his worst. Now, under normal circumstances that would have me removing points, but I am taking a wait and see approach to the situation because I think you know something we should all be told."

Harry decided to reveal just enough so that when he exposed Crouch he might have Snape as an ally again. "I don't KNOW anything sir. It's just..."

"Potter, I suggest you speak."

"It's strange because after he started following the curriculum in the book, he is a good teacher but something just has my magic on edge, sir." Harry said throwing in another sir.

"There is this odd expression on his face sometimes when he looks at me. His strange behavior with Neville and what he did to Malfoy. I know that it is nothing that is illegal but...but I guess it's just...well..."

"Potter, spit it out." Snape snapped.

"I have never met Alastor Moody but I was thinking on being an auror and I researched him. Madam Pince helped me locate the books and he just doesn't act like he is described and when I asked Lupin about him, he doesn't match how Lupin remembers him."

Snape wanted to snap that Lupin was an idiot, but he saw that there was really something bothering the boy. "Potter, go to dinner. I will take what you have said under advisement and for once, I like most of your teachers would prefer it if you would come to us for once instead of just reacting."

"I tried that first year sir, Professor McGonagall told us we were wrong, We weren't were we? I won't even mention Lockhart." Harry muttered as he left the classroom unaware that he had imparted anything new to the Potion's master who abruptly stood and went to speak to his co-worker.

Seeing her eyes widen at his question, she said "Weasley, Granger and Potter did come to me. I assured them that the stone was safe and that you weren't trying to steal it."

"You didn't check on it? Minus who they suspected, we both had discussed our fears regarding the stone, Minerva." Snape replied.

With a grimace she said "I don't think that I was confounded to ignore it, but Severus, a part of me wanted to check, but there was some sort of compulsion charm on me. I told Albus that I believed that Quirrell hexed me but he said that was nonsense."

Snape and she left her office and were heading to the Great Hall for dinner, the Potion's master wondering if she might be right about the compulsion charm but wrong about the person placing the spell on her. He wouldn't put it past Albus Dumbledore to do so.

Harry and his friends were seated in their usual spot, the Durmstrang boys sitting with the Slytherins as Malfoy spoke of his father wanting to send him to Bulgaria for school. The Beauxbaton students were sitting with the Ravenclaws as everyone ate, all debating whose name would come out of the cup.

Harry watched as the headmaster moved forward as the cup blazed with fire and then a name came out. "Victor Krum will be the champion for Durmstrang.

Ron was so excited, Harry was tempted to who he was going to be cheering for. He had distanced himself from the red head but a week ago, Ron had just started hanging around Harry and Hermione again as if all was right between them.

Harry barely talked to the git, but he had noticed Hermione's confusion about how he was acting. Harry knew that after tonight, Ron would once again be on the outs with him.

As the second name came out, Harry heard the Headmaster announcing Fleur Delacour and he politely clapped for the pretty blond seated near Luna at the Ravenclaw table.

A third paper came out and the Headmaster began to speak before he even opened the paper. "The champion for Hogwarts is...Cassius Warrington."

"A slimy Slytherin?" Ron's anger could be heard echoing throughout the Great Hall and while it was clear that the name had come as an unpleasant surprise to the Headmaster, Harry found that he felt embarrassed on behalf of his school when only the Ravenclaws joined the excited Slytherins in congratulating Warrington.

Harry scowled at his fellow Gryffindors and quietly whispered "We need to support the Hogwarts champion."

"I won't do it, not for that slimy git." Dean said along with Seamus and Ron.

"It's what is right." Harry said and to his surprise, Hermione, Lavender, Parvati and a few older students joined him in clapping as the younger ones eventually followed.

The clapping died out and the fire from the Goblet seemed to extinguish itself then another piece of paper came out and the Headmaster deftly caught it and after barely glancing at it, announced "Harry Potter."

Harry just sat there, ignoring the entire thing until he heard clapping and pretended a confusion he didn't feel even as he heard boos from Slytherin. Looking at Hermione, he saw what she was mouthing and pretending to stumble to his feet, he looked up towards where the Headmaster was standing.

"Harry, please join us."

"No." Harry answered to the shock of the entire great Hall including the still booing Slytherins. "I didn't put my name in the cup and I refuse to participate."

"Mr. Potter, you have to participate." Ludo Bagman was announcing with a gleeful expression on his face. "Your name coming out means you have signed a magical contract."

"No, it doesn't." Harry retorted refusing to move even as his head of house moved towards him. "I DIDN'T ENTER my name so how could I have signed a contract because otherwise anyone could be entered against their will, why didn't someone just write up a magical contract and signing your name make you confess to defrauding people for paying them with leprechaun gold."

The large double doors to the Great Hall flung open and Harry looked around to see Amelia Bones, Cornelius Fudge and Lucius Malfoy entering along with several aurors.

"What is going on here?" Albus demanded of Fudge as the man moved forward.

"Mr. Potter, why you are shouting at the headmaster?" Amelia Bones inquired of the dark haired teen while her aurors moved to seemingly random spots.

"My name came out of the Goblet but I didn't put it it and now they are saying I must compete. I was refusing." Harry told her, his eyes on the warrant in her hands. He could see that it was for Moody.

"I believe that our delay caused this, Mr. Potter." she said looking extremely upset with herself before moving forward, taking Harry with her to the fear of a certain bright teenage girl worried about her best friend. "Headmaster, I have some rather unpleasant news."

"Amelia, would it be possible for this to wait, as we are in the middle of something." Albus said struggling to stay pleasant after the rather trying evening he was having.

"I am afraid it can't wait." She said then looking at the Potter boy leaned down and made a suggestion to him when she saw the narrowed eyes and suspicious looks he was getting. "However, I have agreed to let Mr. Potter finish speaking."

Harry quickly took out his wand and said: "I, Harry James Potter do solemnly offer my oath that I did not enter my name in the Goblet of Fire nor did I ask anyone else to do so, so mote it be."

Holding his wand out, Harry thought about his memory of kissing Hermione and said "Expecto Patronum."

Prongs white light came out of Harry's wand and the now corporeal stag galloped around the room before coming to stand in front of Harry. Reaching out, he scratched the stag behind an antler and then watched as it disappeared.

"Mr. Potter!" Minerva McGonagall had heard from others about the extraordinary ability Harry had with that particular charm.

Harry looked over at his Head of House, wondering what he was in trouble for now.

"A simple lumos charm would have done." She replied, her struggle to hide her smile noticeable to all. She moved to stand next to her student and looking around the room at the professors, the visiting guests and the Hogwarts students and said "I do believe that Mr. Potter has more than proven he was telling the truth about not entering this tournament. If I hear one person accusing him of doing so, detention with myself, Filch and Professor Snape will be the least of your worries."

There were some murmurs and then the Headmaster ordered Harry to join the other competitors in the small room. "No, thank you sir."

"Mr. Potter, you must compete." He was told.

"Why?" Harry asked. "What is the worst that will happen? I didn't put my name in, my guess and I am sure that Minister could ask the Department of Mysteries to verify this, but I believe that whoever put my name in is who would lose their magic."

"Unfortunately Mr. Potter, there is a good chance that he is correct, the unspeakables are looking into the entire tournament for me." Amelia said with a quiet aside to the teenager. Seeing his shock, she said, "The reason I was delayed arriving was a visit from that very department."

Harry stumbled forward and found himself going where he had intended to go anyhow but this latest news had him changing his plans somewhat. Joining the others, he saw Warrington looking over at him. "I didn't enter my own name."

"We know." The Slytherin said before looking at the other two and the announcing. "We were curious as to what was taking so long and we looked out just as you were making your vow and then did the patronus charm. How did a fourth year student learn to do that? I saw it last year at the Quidditch match, but that one just now, it was solid wasn't it?"

Nodding, Harry said, "I needed it to protect against the dementors last year."

The four potential champions were standing around the small room wondering when those in charge would join them when they heard a commotion in the Great Hall and rushed to the doorway.

Noticing that Amelia Bones had restrained 'Moody' and was ordering the auror her with her to feed the man a counter potion, Warrington looked at Potter and asked "What do you think is going on?"

Shrugging, Harry replied. "I don't know, but I do know that I never like that man."

"Me either." Warrington said frowning before stepping away from Potter as he realized he had just held a civilized conversation with a Gryffindor.

Hearing Fleur gasping, Harry noticed that Crouch was returning to his real form and that the wooden peg leg of Mad Eye Moody had landed on the stone floor with a loud thunk while the glass eye had fallen out and was rolling towards where they were standing in the doorway.

Krum bent and quickly scooped it up and lifting it, grimacing as he seemed to realize what he had picked up. Handing it over to the tall auror approaching, he simply said: "It is instinct."

Crouch was muttering threats as he was being led away from the head table only to see Harry standing in the open doorway. "My master will avenge me. He will take back his power and you will all pay for your defiance."

"That same master wouldn't happen to be the half blood Tom Riddle would it?" Harry snarled at the escaped death eater from the open doorway. Noticing the way Crouch seemed to be ready to attack, he looked at the auror and then back at Barty and said "Didn't you know? Tom Marvolo Riddle/I am Voldemort. I am sure even you can figure it out."

Harry saw the Headmaster heading his way and knew that the older wizard was going to stop him from saying anything else but he asked "Did you entered me in the tournament at your master's request?"

"As if I would tell a mongrel like you anything." With that Barty attempted to spit at Harry but the headmaster ended up being the target of the spittle.

Harry saw the shock on Dumbledore's face even as he turned to face the younger Crouch, so Harry used the momentary distraction to ease around the wizard to approach Madam Bones who was talking to the Minister.

"Madam Bones." He acknowledge when he saw her looking his way. "Did that man enter me into the tournament and who is he, anyhow? I mean, I know the name, Barty Crouch. I met him at the World Cup."

"Yes, please request your fellow champions rejoins us because it will be better if we release this all at once instead of allowing gossip and rumors to take hold." she said noticing the ire on Dumbledore's face.

When Bagman started to protest saying that the tournament took precedence, she told the Head of Magical Sports to take a seat before she arrested him.

Amelia let Fudge step up to the front of Dumbledore's rather ornate chair and take credit for her investigation as it has allowed her to get permission to continue investigating Albus Dumbledore.

"Please be seated. If the champions will also take seats." Harry saw Lucius Malfoy had conjured four seats off to the side and while he didn't want to take one of the seats, he knew that if he created a scene it would backfire. Soon seated next to Krum and Delacour, he listened as Fudge announced.

"This morning, during a routine visit to Bartholomew Crouch Senior's home, we found the Minister to be under the Imperious curse. When this curse was broken by healers at St. Mungos, Mr Crouch confessed that he had helped his convicted death eater son Barty escape from Azkaban at the bidding of his dying wife. It seems that his son had been held under an imperious curse and with the help of a house elf. During this time, a man we know as Peter Pettigrew, a man reported dead thirteen years ago this night arrived to speak to Barty."

There were gasps in the Great Hall but Harry's eyes went to Hermione who was trying to hide that she wanted to grin but it was clearly a struggle as the Minister stated that it was now believed that it was Peter Pettigrew not, Sirius Black who had been a death eater all those years ago.

By the time the Minister had finished speaking, Harry wanted to jump up and hug the inane idiot as he listened to the man announce that during their search of records they had not found any record of a trial for Sirius Black and that due to the connections between Crouch Junior and now known Death Eater Pettigrew they were ending their search for the escaped prisoner and that Mr. Barty Crouch Senior had been arrested.

When there was no mention of how the Minister had been told by his friends and himself about the same situation, Harry decided it was more important that they get Sirius free than in putting Fudge on the spot.

"Minister, is Voldemort back?" One of the reporters called out.

"No." Fudge said. "I believe that Amelia Bones Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement will be doing a bit more investigating but at this point, we have no reason to believe that He Who Must Not Be Named is alive."

With that, Fudge announced that there would be a press conference at the Ministry the next morning and that until then he could say nothing more.

Once the large group from the Ministry had left, the three remaining which included Fudge, Bones and Malfoy, the headmaster requested that the four champions join them in the small antechamber again. This time he announced the rules for the tournament and gave them the dates of the first challenge before dismissing them.

When they were finished, the students were sent to their respective dorms and or common rooms while the heads of the various schools and the heads of the Hogwarts houses all gathered in the antechamber. Poppy had rejoined them after announcing that the healer Amelia Bones had brought with her had had the aurors with them take the real Mad Eye Moody to St. Mungos.

Amelia explained that they had been made aware from Crouch Senior that his son was going to put Potter in the tournament by some unknown manner. "We tried to get here before that happened but obviously we didn't make it. Headmaster, you and I have already spoken about issues with the man. I have heard from parents of several of your students about even more complaints regarding the impostor Moody. How is you did not realize that something was off with your old friend?"

"I was rather busy with the tournament and over the last few years, I have not seen Alastor as often as I used to. I believed him to have grown more paranoid than he used to be."

Albus soon managed to get rid of his unwanted guests, having convinced Karkaroff and Madame Maxine that he would speak to them tomorrow but that that evening he wanted to try and deal with the situation his school had ended up in due to the impostor.

When Minerva and Severus tried to insist on speaking to him, he excused himself by saying that he needed to look at his memories to figure out how he had gone so wrong in regards to missing the truth about Moody. In truth, Albus was trying to out how this had blown up so publicly.

Once alone in his office, he sat down at his desk and pulled out his pensive. Removing the memory from his mind and placing it in the stone basin, he dipped his head inside and watched from the moment Amelia Bones and Minister Fudge had entered the Great Hall until they had left.

He tried to figure out when he had lost control of events, but soon realized that it had been the moment Harry Potter had defied him and had publicly refused to join the other champions.

Paying closer attention to Harry in his memories, he didn't see anything that explained his rejection of participating, nor did he see when or how the boy gained control over the situation.

Still, thanks to Amelia Bones telling him about the danger to the others participating, Harry had agreed to compete, even if he had managed to convince the school he hadn't entered on the sly which didn't fit in with his own plans, but he would soon find another way to test the young man.

Listening one last time, he noticed how Harry's eyes had met the Granger girls when Bones and Fudge had brought up Pettigrew and Black's innocence. He would have to nip that little bit of nonsense in the bud, right away. Harry had to return to his family, therefore, there was no way he could allow Black to find out he had custody of his godson.

Harry lay back against the pillows propped up on his bed. He had returned to Gryffindor tower only to find his classmates partying at the idea of having a Lion in the competition. He had quickly pointed out he hadn't done so and how he would be doing what was required but nothing more.

Ron had sneered and called him a coward, so Harry had simply looked at the red head and said "Really? Not wanting to compete makes me a coward? I would love to hear that explanation. Ron, I have faced dementors to rescue my godfather, a basilisk and giant spiders to rescue your sister and Hermione. I faced a possessed teacher who had attempted to kill me, a troll, a wraith and a hexed broom to protect our school but I am a coward because I don't want to compete in the TriWizard tournament."

With that, harry shook his head and walked away, leaving Ron red in the face and sputtering in anger. Once he had spoken to Hermione and Neville who were seated with the rest of the fourth year students, Harry said he was going to bed and went up to his dorm and closed his curtains which led him to now.

Looking at his journal where he was writing down the changes he was making this year, Harry was debating speaking to Professor Snape alone before Sirius was freed so that he could rely on his Potions professor during the next year.

Finishing his book, Harry re-tuned the protection charm on it and lay it down next to him before removing the mysterious pocket watch and found himself winding it as he tried to figure out what to do next...

In Hufflepuff house, Cedric Diggory was being consoled by his year mates on not being the champion even as they complained about how Harry Potter had somehow been able to compete when young Susan Bones who was seated on a nearby settee with Hannah Abbott looked at seventh year Thomas Morrison and asked. "Thomas, who was the last TriWizard champion?"

Blinking the older student replied. "I don't know, why?"

"So much for eternal glory?" She smirked and saw that the others were finally getting what she was attempting to point out. "Cedric, would you really risk your future career, your life, and limbs for putting your name on a cup and a thousand galleons? I thought you were smarter than that?"

When the embarrassed Cedric flushed, she said "The thing is that was Harry's question when the other fourth years began dreaming of being champion. I heard about it from Padma Patil who heard about it from her sister who is in Gryffindor. Potter didn't enter and frankly, I think we should be supportive to him."

"I agree." Ernie Macmillan stated as Justin Finch Fletchley and Zach Smith joined them. "Did you hear what happened when Warrington's name was announced as champion. No one but Slytherin and a few Eagles clapped for him until Potter did. We should be ashamed of ourselves. We need to support both of them. Harry Potter because he didn't enter and Cassius Warrington because he did."

An agreement was reached that evening in Hufflepuff to be equally loyal to Potter and Warrington, which Cedric mentioned to Roger Davies the next morning as they met each other on the way to breakfast in the Great Hall.

"The Claws spoke of it as well. We are going to support both Potter and Warrington. Warrington because he is the Hogwart's champion and Potter because he didn't enter his own name."

Nodding, they looked over at the table with the green and silver before requesting a moment of Cassius Warrington's time. The Hogwarts champion was wary but he agreed to step out in the nearby corridor with the two Quidditch captains.

"We spoke to our classmates and are going to support you as the Hogwarts champion but we will be also be supporting Potter."

"The Potter boy didn't enter his name." Warrington stated. Seeing their surprise, Warrington flushed and said "The only Snakes disagreeing with this are the fourth year snakes. This morning Snape saw Parkinson trying to charm some badges against Potter and gave her detention until the first task and removed a hundred points."

"Snape?" Davies asked in disbelief.

"Surprised most of us too." Warrington answered. "Still, it is the smart thing to do, supporting Potter. I heard him, when that git Weasley complained about my being named champion. I owe him for that if nothing else."

With wide eyes, the three separated and quickly headed to their respective house tables, never noticing that Flitwick had been eavesdropping and had given all three of their houses fifteen points on his way to the teacher's table in the front of the room.

TBC