Chapter 1 – To Get out of the Tournament

"Harry Potter!" Dumbledore called again.

There was utter silence in the whole Great Hall. Harry couldn't believe it. He looked at Hermione first, and then at Ron, then back to Hermione, to find out what she might think. Within the fraction of a second a whole conversation passed between them without a spoken word. Harry didn't know how, but Hermione assured him of her faith in him. He got up, but did not move away from his place. Instead, he held up his wand and spoke loudly and very decidedly into the silence:

"I hereby declare that as I have not applied to participate in the tournament by putting my name into the Goblet of Fire, neither by my own hand nor by any helping hand of an older student, I shall not take part in the Triwizard Tournament. Neither do I have the need nor the want for this prize money nor eternal fame, having more of the latter than anyone could wish for and enough of the former in my own right. My words are the truth as so I speak, so mote it be upon my life and my magic."

The white flash of light that followed this sincere declaration and oath left everyone speechless. One part of the Great Hall's population was shocked to hear the declaration as such, but also that a chosen candidate refused this chance! The others were simply astounded at Harry's presence of mind and readiness to decline what he never wanted in the first place. Ron was going out of his mind completely! He never even listened to what Harry said, he only registered that Harry had somehow made it into the Goblet without telling his best friend how to do it. That was where his thinking had stopped and his anger had started, pushing all rational thought away.

The reactions along the head table were completely different. In the midst of the table sat Dumbledore. He had almost doubled over and lost his balance when Harry had begun his little speech. This was most unexpected! Not that he had expected to see Harry's name being brought forth from the Goblet, but it was certainly unexpected to see the boy's quick, decisive and very public reaction. Dumbledore had read the name almost with glee, finding it a nice confirmation that this would lure Harry to try to participate. Two months into his fourth year Harry hadn't shown any more promises than he had ever done before, being an average student with average interests and abilities. Dumbledore's mind tried to assess two conundrums at once: How did Harry know that he could refuse? Who had placed his name into the Goblet if Harry really wasn't responsible himself? The white light had confirmed him to tell the truth. The old headmaster didn't doubt that the boy's magic was as intact as his life.

Dumbledore never even noticed the rage that had come up in his Defence professor. 'Moody' just saw his carefully laid out plans shatter. He would have to actively kidnap Harry now, couldn't do it under the guise of winning the Trophy. A plan, so simple and easy to work was now torn to pieces and his master would not be happy at best, furious to the point of killing his servant at worst. Said servant was well aware that Voldemort never had any scruples to kill even his most devoted servants. He just never thought he would be amongst those who suffered this final act of service to their master.

Hermione pulled Harry back down and hugged him for everything she (and he) was worth. Harry turned to her and looked into chocolate coloured eyes that shone in affirmative and loving ways. She whispered:

"Friendship, and bravery, and love, Harry! Well done!"

With a little memory flash Harry heard the words she had spoken back in first year before he moved on to meet Quirrell. But this time she added what she hadn't dared to say as a shy first year: 'Love'! What a big word, but the feelings that stirred deep within him confirmed that the word was spoken rightfully. His lips broadened to a wide smile and his green eyes answered all the questions Hermione still could have had. Her hug loosened and only their hands were still connected.

Meanwhile the shock around them abated somewhat and was replaced by murmurs and some shouts and when Dumbledore once again tried to call Harry to the front Harry turned back and repeated:

"I said no! You have your three champions; I will not be forced to participate in some hare-brained thing that I never asked to play in."

Crouch now looked at him with icy eyes and remarked, pointing at the slip Dumbledore still held in his hands:

"This is a binding magical contract. You have to compete or you will lose your magic!"

"I highly doubt that. This slip of paper may contain my name, but it has none of my magical essence or anything physical from me. It cannot even connect to me! If anything, it will take hold of the magic of the person who wrote this slip and put it in the Goblet, there's physical evidence from them, their handwriting! Besides - at what point would I lose my magic? Now? At the end of the tournament? When the first task starts? When it ends? Because right now all feels exactly as it has always felt inside of me! – Expecto Patronum!"

Harry cast the spell effortlessly and a very solid looking Prongs proved that at least for the moment he still had his magic. The questions effectively shut even the head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation up. The Tournament responsible officials gave up and walked off into the room where they had sent the other champions.

Around Harry some of his house mates started to lay into him:

"How can you be such a coward? You get the chance… I would have given an arm and a leg for the opportunity… Why? Why are you crawling back out?"

George and Fred finally stopped the accusations when Fred said:

"If Harry said he didn't put in his name it means he never wanted to apply anyway, doesn't it? It takes a lot more courage to say no than it would take to accept. Can't any of you idiots see what it would have done to him? I for one think he's done the right thing even if it would have been nice for Gryffindor."

"And I would have gladly accepted to participate if I were three years older and more experienced and could actually apply! Then I would have been proud to stand there for Gryffindor, people. But someone tried to cheat me into this tournament for their nefarious reasons and I'm not having it," Harry added. "Besides, most of the school would have thought I cheated to get my name into the Goblet, wouldn't they? When it comes to me they always think the worst."

The Weasley twins, who were extremely popular with all of Gryffindor, settled the matter within the house. Harry knew that it wasn't yet over; the Slytherins especially would probably lay into him even worse. But he was prepared for a few more official statements in the Great Hall should they be needed.

But after his oath not even the Slytherins dared to call Harry a cheat. All of them knew what a light as white as the one they saw shine after the oath meant. The only thing that most pupils talked about was that shimmering Patronus, that impressively large stag, a 16-ender that could easily kill someone with its impressive antlers. By far not everyone at the school knew what the spell and its manifestation represented, but those who did now thought fairly differently of Harry. He, barely into his fourth year, had just shown them he knew a spell most seventh years were never able to get to form.

O

The Death Eater that had taken over Alastor Moody's place seethed. There was no way he could kidnap Harry right out of the school, people would be on alert and he would be too quickly missed. On top of that the boy was now warned that there was someone acting against him; at least if he was in his right mind he was warned. Nevertheless, he had to report his failure to his master and so a non-descript school owl made its way out of the school. He didn't even dare to think about Voldemort's reaction!

The thing that was Voldemort was beside himself! He had personally written out that slip and put as much of his confounding essence in that he was able to, and now the boy had refused! He couldn't be forced to compete, but Voldemort was of the opinion that the boy was weak and had nothing to resist the temptation that competing in such a tournament would arouse in him. The carefully laid out plans were gone for the time being. They had to start thinking of something else. The thing wanted Harry's blood and no one else's. Voldemort was convinced that only having the blood of this particular enemy would allow him to overcome the boy's mother's protection.

O

Harry was able to enjoy the beginning of what looked like a comparatively normal year at Hogwarts. He had written all about the mysterious entering of his name to Sirius, who, being on the way north anyway, wrote back to him asking his godson to report anything unusual he could find, even if it was only something he might spot on the Marauders' Map. That told Harry it might be a good idea to have a look at that map regularly.

Ron had completely turned away from Harry and Hermione. He was so angry that he never even considered his friend had been misused. He was the only one in Gryffindor who did not heed his brothers' words. Nevertheless, he found reasonable contact with Seamus and Dean, even though they both didn't share his opinion on Harry. Dean told him point blank that he was allowed to hang out with them, but that this subject was not talked about in their presence.

Harry hardly missed Ron. He came to an understanding with Hermione and by the time the first task of the tournament was announced they walked hand in hand down to the arena that had been erected, chatting with Neville, whom they had taken a bit more under their wing.

Neville, who had never had any really close friends so far, had been invited to study with Harry and Hermione and had blossomed greatly since then. He walked by their side with more confidence now. Together they found seats in one of the upper rows to watch the first task. Hermione held tightly to Harry's arm. He had refused to compete - would he now lose his magic because of the contract he hadn't accepted? He was still sure he wouldn't.

The three champions came, got their golden eggs and went. Harry, Hermione and Neville left the makeshift stadium and returned to the castle. On the way Harry levitated a stone with perfect ease from the ground.

"Obviously I haven't lost my magic by not competing. The whole binding magical contract seems to be a sham after all," he commented.

O

In the old Riddle House Wormtail had just come back into the room where his Master sat on his chair and found the homunculus screaming his head off, but entirely without the magical power to follow his demands. Wormtail noticed quickly that this would be the end of the nightmare that was Voldemort. The Dark Lord tried to curse his servant, but found himself utterly unable to get his wand to work. It clattered to the floor and the homunculus followed swiftly, completely and utterly dead! As it had been the construct of magic it couldn't live without the magic that it needed to sustain its tiny bit of life. As it had lost its magic before it died it could not escape as a spirit because its non-magical remainder of the soul had also lost its connection to all of its magical Horcruxes.

Pettigrew stared at the beast that had tried to get a new body. It was completely dead, but there was no spirit anywhere in sight. He himself wasn't much of a wizard, but he knew that if Voldemort had not died from his own killing curse in 1981, then he shouldn't have completely died now. Then he heard the snake crawling up to him and killed it immediately with a well-placed Reducto. He knew he had to get away if he wanted to survive and he saw no other possibility than to live his life out as a rat now. He scurried away from the place immediately.

O

Back in Hogwarts the impostor who had taken Moody's place felt the Dark Mark weaken again. He stared at it in shock! Something must have befallen his Master, he thought and he immediately sought an opportunity to leave and check on things. When he reached the Riddle House he only found a lump of dead meat where his Master had sat on his chair, a dead snake and a missing Pettigrew. He immediately remembered Potter's remark that he thought the loss of magic would probably befall the one who wrote the slip; seeing the proof of that theory, he broke down and howled!

O

At Hogwarts, Harry felt something stir in his scar. Hermione was with him and watched in horror as a black, gooey mass started to emerge from the scar. She immediately pulled Harry to the hospital wing where Poppy Pomfrey cleaned Harry up and checked his scar, only to find that it had almost vanished! She checked all the magical properties, of the goo as well as Harry's scar, but couldn't find anything negative at all. Relieved, she sent the two students back to their tower.

The next weekday Dumbledore announced at dinner that Professor Moody was missing from the castle. Harry looked at the Marauders' Map and found that Moody was right there in his rooms. He went there and knocked, but received no answer. After consulting the map once more he tried the doorknob and found it open. There was no one in the office, but it had a door that led to the rooms beyond, which were the teacher's accommodation. He followed through the next door, where he found no one either.

"That's strange," he said to Hermione. Both checked the map and found the dot representing Alastor Moody right next to themselves.

"It certainly is - Professor Lupin and Sirius said that the map never lies. Professor Moody should be here or at least his body should be. Could it malfunction?"

"I don't think it does, Hermione. He must be here somewhere."

They started to search the rooms and even opened up the heavy trunk that was placed in the bedroom. It had seven locks, but the keys were stuck in the top one. They started at the bottom compartment and stared: a ladder led them deep into a cavern.

"Lumos!" said Hermione.

In the bright light of her wand they found a body, motionless on the floor. Hermione immediately checked him for a pulse and found a weak response. She jumped up and said:

"Stay here, I'll call Madam Pomfrey."

"Will do. Do you think I should enervate him?"

"No, I wouldn't suggest you do - leave it to her."

The school's healer came with astonishing speed, levitated the body out and placed him on the bed. A quick examination later brought the life back into Alastor Moody and what a life! He was so spitting mad that the kids fled to the other room. When Pomfrey talked to her patient he said that he had no idea how he came to be in his own trunk and the last thing he remembered was some commotion he had announced to the Aurors on August 31st.

Called to investigate, Dumbledore quickly understood that the Moody who had taught school for two months had been an impostor! He couldn't believe that he had not noticed his old friend wasn't really his friend. Moody laid into him for being too lax in security matters! He was mad as well because his magical eye and his peg leg had gone to who knows where! The peg leg was quickly replaced, but the magical glass-eye would take a few days to be restored by a craftsman and sent back to Hogwarts.

Harry and Hermione had hidden themselves in the office to listen in. They left once they knew most of the facts and took the detour to the library where they penned yet another letter to Sirius. This they took to the Owlery together and sent it with one of the school owls. Then Harry turned to Hedwig:

"Hedwig, do you think you might be able to find Wormtail?"

The owl simply looked back at him as if he was asking something completely foolish. To Miss Hedwig it was completely irrelevant what form the rat had, she would find the man.

"Okay. I may have an order for you later on. We need to think how to proceed. He knows you very well; we might have to disguise you."

On the way back to the common room they crossed the Weasley twins. One of them approached them and talked to Hermione about her obsession with the house-elves and to go down to the kitchens and see them herself. As an afterthought George said:

"Talk to them. Find out what they themselves need before you try to campaign them to something they might not even want. Maybe you should start to campaign for better treatment instead of freedom. The Hogwarts elves in any case are happy. Their magic is so strong that they hardly do more than snap their fingers to get their work done. Not exactly hard labour to them!"

The twins showed Hermione the way to the kitchens and Harry went with her, out of solidarity. As soon as they stepped inside the kitchen they were surrounded by a whole bunch of the little beings. Harry couldn't help himself. Their eagerness and bubbliness made him smile. Until there was a shriek and a tiny missile flew towards Harry, hugging him tight around his midriff - which was as far as the creature could reach. Harry immediately recognised the little elf; it was Dobby.

"Master Harry Potter his Lordship Sir! You is here in the kitchens! What can Dobby be doing for Master Harry Potter his Lordship Sir?"

Harry had to overcome a bout of laughter that tried to get out of him, but he managed to simply say:

"Dobby! Don't call me all these titles, please, I'm just Harry! Hello to you, too. It's nice to meet you here."

"Dobby is finding work here, but he would much more like to work for you, Sir."

"But I don't have a house yet, Dobby, what would you do?"

"Oh, there is much Dobby could do for Sir, but you is have to take Dobby as your house-elf first…" the little elf slyly said.

Hermione snapped for air. Dobby, who wanted to be free, all of a sudden wanted to be Harry's elf? On his own free will?

"But didn't you want to be free, Dobby?" she asked.

Dobby's ears flopped and he dropped the lids over his tennis ball eyes. He shook his head and said:

"Dobby just wanted to be free of his evil master. Old master did evil things for his master and he mistreated the elves. But Dobby must find binding again, or will lose his own magic. House-elves need binding to live. I is not wanting to bond with Hogwarts."

Harry turned to the elf, surprised.

"Then how did you survive until now?"

"Dobby survives - just about, because is working here at school. But is not a good life and prefers to belong to a family. Other Hogwarts elves are bound to the school."

"I'm only me for the time being, Dobby. I do want a family someday, but that will be a good long while off…"

"Does not matter. One day you is going to be master over big, big house and Dobby would be happy elf! When you is not needing me Dobby can always help here at Hogwarts."

"Or my Godfather," Harry mumbled, having a sudden idea.

Hermione looked up questioningly.

"He could bring him something to eat, for example. Help him hiding," Harry whispered.

"True. But enslaving?"

"Dobby, I'd love to have you, but is it okay to pay you wages? Like maybe ten Galleons a month?"

"Is being too much, Master, I is wanting only one Galleon!"

"Five. That's my last word," said Harry.

Hermione thought it somewhat wrong that a servant would want to talk an offer down, but Dobby accepted the new wage and explained to Harry what he would have to do to bind Dobby to him. Harry followed the short procedure and knew instantly that a bond had been established. Dobby confirmed that by sighing and informing him first and foremost:

"Now Dobby can be keeping Harry Potter's secrets and no one can force them out of Dobby. You can call Dobby from anywhere and Dobby can be finding you. You can name people who can call Dobby as well."

"Good. Please listen for me, for Hermione here, and for my Godfather, Sirius Black. Do you think we should include anyone else, Hermione? Maybe Fred and George? I can trust them. And Professor Remus Lupin."

Dobby was of course astonished that Sirius Black was mentioned. Harry explained to the little elf - and all other house-elves around them:

"Sirius Black was not our Secret Keeper and has not betrayed me and my parents. He has been framed by the real Secret Keeper who, funny enough, was the one he was supposed to have killed, Peter Pettigrew. Pettigrew is still alive and out there trying to help Voldemort! And so Sirius was thrown into prison even though he hadn't killed anyone. It would be nice of all of you to help us helping him staying hidden until his name can be cleared. We'll need Pettigrew before Sirius can be freed."

One of the older elves came closer and said:

"We is helping you, Sir, we is knowing that he is good man. He is always being kind to us elves, only being harsh to Kreacher, his old family's elf. We is not liking that he has to suffer."

"Do you know him?"

"Tilly is be knowing him since he found the kitchens here in his second year, together with sir's father."

"Great! Thank you very much."

Later on, Harry and Hermione discussed the elves again, but this time Harry was more enthusiastic about them.

"Do you realise what potential there is within these elves? They are damn powerful, believe me, I've seen Dobby banish away Malfoy! That was something to see, I don't mind telling you."

"But slaves, Harry, SLAVES!"

"I'm paying him, too!"

"Tokens!"

"Not really - in fact taking the gold value of the Galleons what I'm actually paying him is roundabout 1500 £ per month! That's definitely not tokens."

"No, you're right, I have to admit…"

"Then please call him if you have need of something, you'll make the little fellow happy!"

Another letter was dispatched to Padfoot, one to tell him that he could get food out of the Hogwarts kitchens through Dobby and the other Hogwarts elves at any time; he only needed to call the elf, who was instructed to listen to his calls. A similar letter was brought by Hedwig to Remus Lupin. Remus certainly didn't mind to gain a safe direct means of communication with Harry and Sirius.

Sirius then remembered their old communication mirrors and together with Dobby they were found and reproduced so that Remus, Sirius, Harry and Hermione now all had a mirror through which they could talk to each other. Upon her asking Sirius also made another mirror for Hermione's parents.

When the Yule Ball was announced Harry immediately asked Hermione. They had spent all of their time together since that fateful Halloween night. Both were amazed that they missed their friend of three years so little. The pair, or the pair and Neville were a harmonious group of students, who shared their study time and their free time having fun together. They were just discussing who Neville could ask to the ball when they stumbled over a small girl in a hallway.

"Excuse me, I'm sorry…" she mumbled.

Both Harry and Hermione immediately noticed the subdued tone in the girl's voice. They stopped and turned to her.

"No problem. You look troubled, can we help you? I'm Harry Potter, this is Hermione Granger and this is Neville Longbottom."

"It's nothing, really. I know who you are… I'm Luna Lovegood…"

"Nice to meet you, Luna. But you do look a little out of sorts. What house do you belong to?" Hermione asked.

"Ravenclaw," Luna whispered. "Only, I can't go back there at the moment. My bed's probably booby-trapped again and I can't take that down before midnight."

As she said this as if it were the most normal thing in the world, Harry and Hermione exchanged looks. Knowing that this couldn't be good they asked Luna:

"Does Professor Flitwick know you're bullied, Luna?"

"No! I don't want to make things even worse…"

"Come with us. We'll go straight to the Professor. He'll definitely help you, he's fair with everyone."

"But then those girls will do worse next time…" Luna protested.

"Luna, have they not already done worse than at the beginning?" Neville asked slyly

She nodded.

"See? They need to be disciplined. Professor Flitwick will understand that you haven't said anything until now. But this can't be left unpunished."

Walking to the professor's office didn't take long and when they found him, they explained Luna's plight. Flitwick looked extremely saddened.

"Miss Lovegood, I'm awfully pained to hear there's such bullying in my house. Let us get to the base of the problem immediately. Thank you, Miss Granger, Messrs Longbottom and Potter, for bringing her to me. I shall take it from here."

"Thank you, Professor. Just remember that Luna fears they will up the game if they learn that you know about their bullying," said Hermione in parting.

"Oh, don't worry, Miss Granger, the Ravenclaws will soon learn what it means to betray one of our own!"

"Great! And, Luna, you're welcome to join us at our table if you would like to at any meal."

Harry, Hermione and Neville parted and Harry pulled them to an empty classroom, where he called Dobby. The house-elf arrived immediately and was all ears to Harry's orders.

"Dobby, please add two more people to the list of those who can call you: Neville here and Miss Luna Lovegood."

"Dobby will hear them, Master Harry."

"Excellent."

Dobby was about to leave again, when Hermione asked:

"Dobby, wait for another moment, I'd like to ask you something."

"Yes, Miss?"

"If we asked you to look for Peter Pettigrew, could you do that?"

"Of course, Miss."

Harry's face brightened immediately. He asked:

"What if he's in his Animagus form? He's the rat that Ron used to have..."

"Ah yes, even then."

"Could you fetch him for us? You'd probably have to stun him..."

"Dobby can do that if he is a rat. Dobby may not raise his hand against a wizard, even if he once did against his former master."

"Perfect!"

"Then Dobby is off now!"

It took the house-elf barely ten minutes to locate the traitorous rat. He brought the rat back to Hogwarts straight away. Hermione conjured up a cage, but before the rat was put in, the cage was spelled unbreakable. Harry then stopped Hermione for another moment and said:

"We need to disarm him before we can send him on..."

"Do you remember the spell Remus and Sirius used to turn him back?"

"Yes. I'll use it and you disarm him as soon as he emerges. Make the cage big so the human can't escape either if you can."

"Good idea. Here, I think that should do it..."

Hermione enlarged the cage, then they placed the rat in it. Neville was floored!

"What's with this rat? Isn't this Ron's?"

"Yes, it is. He's an Animagus, Neville. He's Peter Pettigrew."

"Ah - the one who was supposedly killed by your Godfather, but wasn't?"

"Yes. He got away."

Harry stunned the rat again for good measure. Then he had another idea and asked Dobby:

"Where did you find him?"

"Close to London, Master."

"And no ugly baby-like thing with him?"

"No, Master. He was a rat."

"Wonder what he was doing then? Last I knew was he was with that strange thing that's Voldemort now. Let's really think about the next step. I'm not sure it would be a good idea to get him out just yet. It would be easier to get him to the Ministry in this form."

"We should talk to Aunt Amelia, she's the head of the DMLE and I know her well," suggested Neville, trying to be helpful.

"You do? But how to get there?" Hermione asked.

"Dobby can be taking you sirs and miss?" Dobby offered.

"All of us at once, Dobby?"

"Oh yes."

The teens looked at each other, then checked the time. It was just before five pm, they could easily sneak out before dinner time. Hermione grinned and nodded.

"No time like now, what do you think?"

"Let's go!" said Neville.

Harry agreed. They made the cage small again, left the rat in it and then Dobby made them all touch him. He popped them into the Atrium of the Ministry. There they let Neville take over. He led them to the security desk where they asked to see Madam Bones. Harry and Hermione were astonished how confident Neville was in this surrounding, he told the clerk at the desk he urgently needed to see his Aunt Amelia Bones. The clerk sent a quick message and an answer came back within a minute. He told them the way to her office and Neville smirked as they left for it.

"Good. She knows that I wouldn't ask to see her if it wasn't important."

They had to go against the traffic out of the Ministry. Most workers were already on their way home, so it was easy to get a lift down to the floor where Madam Bones had her offices. They didn't even need to stop at the desk outside, because her door was open and she expected them.

"Hello Neville, what leads you to me so urgently?"

"It's less me than rather Harry and Hermione, Auntie. This is Harry Potter and this is Hermione Granger, Auntie. And the topic is going to be this rat here... which apparently is not a rat. It's their story to tell."

"I'm pleased to meet you, Miss Granger, Mister Potter. Won't you come in and take a seat? Then tell me all about this. It sounds all very mysterious!"