Percy's PoV

We settle down in the big room with Harry, Ron and Hermione.

Since yesterday, people have been placing bets to see who would be champion.

A great euphoria accompanied the eagerness to find out who the Fire Goblet would choose.

Little by little silence fell, and the director stepped forward, taking his place beside the fire goblet.

"My dear children. In a few moments, we will discover who will be the lucky ones selected by the cup to participate in the "six wizards tournament"!"

Wave of cheers.
The students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang are scattered among the students at Hogwarts.

They have integrated quickly since their arrival.

"Before it all begins, I'll let Mr. Crouch add a few words!"

A man walks forward, pale complexion, looking tired. He gives a forced smile before he speaks.

"Thank you Dumbledore. I wish good luck to the future champions, they will need it."

And he steps back.

The mood in the room is a little down. You don't need the magic fire of the colony to find out.

Suddenly, the flame of the goblet of fire becomes intense and spits out a parchment, which Dumbledore catches almost instantly.

Silence in the room.

"The first Durmstrang champion, VIKTOR KRUM!"

Cheers from the whole room.
Ron was there, making more noise than I thought was necessary.
"IT WAS SURE!"he says.

The concerned person walks to a door at the back of the room that the director pointed out to him.

Silence returns as the flame begins to grow again.

Another scroll appears, caught like the previous one by the director.

"The second Durmstrang champion, INSKI ANNE!"

The girl walks towards the same door as her teammate, under slightly more moderate cheers than the first champion.
Perhaps due to the fact that the first one is a world star.

A new scroll appears.
"The first champion of Beauxbatons, FLEUR DELACOUR!"

Thunder of cheers. The boys bend over his passage.

"Hang on Ron, you're going to fall!" I say.

"The second champion, REKRAP PETER!"

A boy walks under the applause in this room behind the teachers' table.

The room is silent again.

The goblet, for the fifth time, spits out a parchment.

I feel the pressure mounting. The next two champions will be Hogwarts.

"The first Hogwarts champion, CEDRIC DIGGORY!"

The boy we met at the World Cup stands up from the Hogwarts table.
"CHAMPION'S HUFFLEPUFF!" Some shout from the table.

Cedric in turn disappears into the next room.

The blue flame of the goblet rises again, spitting out the last champion of this tournament.

Dumbledore grabs it, under the gaze of all the students, holding their breath.

Great silence.
The principal reads the parchment and looks around.

"POTTER, HARRY!"

Silence. No applause.

I turn to Harry, who seems as surprised as everyone else.

"HARRY POTTER!" Shouts Dumbledore again.

Hermione pushes Harry, who steps forward in total silence.
He passes in front of the director who looks at him without speaking, no expression on his face.

Harry goes through the door in turn.

Dumbledore speaks quickly with Crouch.

Then he comes back in front of the students.
"The laws are formal!  Any name chosen by the goblet of fire is bound by a magical contract. No turning back is possible!
The teams are now bound!
For Durmstrang, Viktor Krum and Inski Anne!
For Beauxbâtons, Fleur Delacour and Rekrap Peter!
And finally for Hogwarts, Cedric Diggory and Harry Potter!"

The director, after making this announcement, turns and walks towards the door.
But he stops dead in his tracks.

Everyone looks at the goblet.
A new flame rises and a scroll appears, which the director grabs as if by reflex.

Silence even heavier than when Harry's name came out.

"JACKSON, PERCY!"

All eyes turn to me.
Dumbledore beckons me to come towards him.

I get up slowly and stop in front of him.

"I suspected that you would be chosen... but I didn't think Harry would be too. We end up with a seventh sorcerer."

"Do you think something is brewing?"

"I don't know, Perseus, but the Goblet of Fire is a powerful object, and a fourth year can't fool the age limit."

"What does that mean?"

"That someone here doesn't want what's best for Harry. Because he is in grave danger with this tournament."

"I get it, we're keeping our eyes open."
I tap the director's shoulder and head for the door.

The champions turn around when I arrive, surprised because of Harry's selection, and begin to assail me with questions, thinking that I am a messenger.

"Percy!"

Harry is heading towards me.
"I don't understand, I didn't put my name in this cup!"

"I believe you. But the fact is that you are now a champion. You're going to have to compete."

My cousin's shoulders sag in despair.

I put my hand on his shoulder.
"Hey, it's going to be okay. I'm looking after you, don't worry."

He looks at me gratefully.

"By the way, what are you doing here?"

"Well, let's just say that I'm making a mess for a change..."

"Meaning?" He ask.

"I've been selected."

Harry opens his mouth to retort but the door opens with a bang, letting the teachers and Crouch in.

The champions gather around, in total incomprehension.

The principals of the other schools took offence, accusing Hogwarts of cheating.

"SILENCE!"

The principal of Durmstrang approaches Harry.
"Did you put your name in this cup?"

"No, sir."

"Karkaroff, how can you expect this boy to cheat the cup?" Moody intervenes.

Karkaroff grabs my cousin by the shoulders, aggressively.

Reacting immediately, I grabbed his arms and unhooked him from Harry, then sent him waltzing over my shoulder.

"My cousin says he didn't put his name in this cup."

"So how do you explain his name coming out of the cup?" He gets carried away, still keeping his distance.

"I don't know how. Someone who doesn't want him to be taken care of, maybe?"

"This tournament is fun! First a kid gets selected, and on top of that Hogwarts has three champions!" Says the tall woman, director of Beauxbatons.

"What's going to happen to Percy?"

"He's going to go it alone."

All eyes turn to Crouch, who spoke.

"This boy has been selected, but the teams have already been made up. He will have to participate without a teammate."

"But this is insane! This tournament is far too dangerous!" Say Mcdonagalle.

Crouch raised his hand, asking for silence.
"These are the rules. The tournament of the six, or rather of the seven wizards, will take place, and will proceed as planned."

With these words, he leaves the room.

Not without expressing their displeasure, the directors of the foreign schools come out in their turn.

Everyone leaves the room, so that finally I find myself alone with Dumbledore.

"Perseus..."

"No worries. It's going to be fine."

"Just be careful. It's going to be dangerous."

I'm sighing.
"For change."

🔱 🔱🔱🔱🔱🔱🔱🔱🔱🔱🔱🔱
Hello demigod! 😁🔱

Well then.
Chapter without a lot of action indeed but necessary! I set the basis for the rest :)

Percy finds himself alone in a tournament planned for teams...
In the next chapters the story will accelerate even more.
And I hope you'll enjoy it!

In the meantime,
Stay cool, demigod 😁🔱

Word count :
1212