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Harry glanced over at older pair and they stopped talking. This tournament, their opportunity for fame and fortune beyond their wildest dreams, was not turning out to be everything they were promised.

After a few more minutes of listening in to the arguments of the adults, eventually the huddle broke and the Champions were all drawn together and told the verdict.

"Okay, so it's been decided," Ludo Bagman began, "that Mr Potter, you will compete in the Tournament as a second Champion for Hogwarts."

Crouch added, "The Goblet's decision will not be ignored."

"This is over our strong objections." Maxine interjected.

"Yes, we heard you the first time." Snape muttered loudly enough for the whole room to hear.

His snark did not go unnoticed, but nobody wanted to dignify it with a response.

OXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Hermione had spent the last five minutes convincing Ron not to try storming the Trophy Room to rescue Harry. Truth be told, she wanted to go down and there and find out what was going on just as much as he did, but she (unlike Ron) recognised the futility of rushing the stage when there were dozens of reporters and many Aurors between them and that door.

People had tried pressing Ron and her for answers, about why Harry had cheated the Goblet, and when he entered since nobody saw. When they received only the same 'he didn't', they went back to baseless speculation.

It became immediately apparent, from what they could overhear in the Hall, that everyone seemed to believe Harry was the cheat and that Gaara was the true Champion. I was a remarkable change from the hostility and suspicion Gaara had been regarded with up until the end of last year.

Of course, Harry's allies tried arguing his cause, but none knew what was happening, they could not convince anyone of Harry's innocence.

As one would expect, the Slytherins were not helping. They were quick to boast their enigmatic housemate's virtues and slander Harry with all kinds of lies. A number of snakes claimed to have witnessed him confound the Goblet or any number of other underhanded things to gain entrance into the Tournament.

Usually Draco's would have been the loudest voice among them, deriding Potter while elevating Gaara. Win win.

Except, right now, the last thing Gaara wanted to be doing was celebrating Gaara and his entrance into the Tournament. He had half a mind to side with the Gryffindors, if he was being perfectly honest.

As he bit his tongue, figuratively speaking, he focussed on not throwing up the dinner he had managed to eat before Gaara's dramatic entrance earlier. From stomach ache to nausea… all he needed now was to be photographed throwing up by the international press and this truly would be… actually, his mother and father would have to be there to witness it in person. That would be the worst evening.

After what might have been ten minutes, the mob all directed their attention to the front of the Hall again, directing Draco's gaze there too. The door was opening and out poured the adults that had followed Potter into the trophy room. Dumbledore, McGonagall, Professor Snape, Fudge, Ludo Bagman, Crouch, two Ministry flunkies Draco did not know the names of (and he knew all of the important movers in the Ministry).

Then followed the Champions, all four of them. Viktor Krum stepped out to applause and basked in it for a moment before he moved aside so Fleur Delacour could receive the same adulation. The press were already pushing and shoving to reach the front and demand answers. Sadly, for Fudge, the majority of those questions regarded the irregularity that occurred earlier.

Then, a few beats after the elder two Champions emerged, out stepped Gaara and Harry. They stayed close together, quashing some of the predictions of a brutal Hogwarts rivalry, but that was where any sign of camaraderie ended.

Fudge stepped up to the podium again but Crouch approached from behind and said something inaudible to him. Fudge reluctantly stepped away from the microphone and let the men who were actually supposed to be running the event take over the announcement.

Whether from this rejection or from the situation itself, Fudge looked about as angry as anybody since the time the Weasley twins in their second year found out when Snape's birthday was and organised a huge party for him the Great Hall, including balloons and cakes that bore his face that appeared on all the tables with their meals. He had disliked them from the moment they met but he hated them after that day.

Having everyone write insulting, anonymous birthday messages in dozens of cards that kept arriving all through the day had been the final nail.

If the look on the twins faces now were any kind of indicator, Fudge might be receiving his own cards in the near future.

Contrary to assumption, Crouch did not seem at all happy to have taken Fudge's place at that moment. There had been a time in his life he would have relished stealing the stage from Cornelius but now it seemed like a poisoned apple.

"Thank you for being patient. The Triwizard Tournament is an ancient contest… but this does not mean it cannot and does not change with time. The Golbet of Fire, which has been used to select the Triwizard Champions since the first Tournament over seven-hundred years ago, has seen fit to select a fourth Champion for the first time and so we have decided to innovate and make changes to this historic contest.

"Both Harry Potter and Gaara," Crouch seemed to stumble over the lack of a surname, "will represent Hogwarts separately. They will be competing against each other, as they will compete against the venerable Champions selected from our sister schools.

And so, without further ado, I am proud to introduce the four Champions for the 1995 Triwizard Tournament: Viktor Krum of the Durmstrang Institute," Cheers rose from a number of places, "Fleur Delacour of Beauxbatons Academy of Magic," the French contingent and half of the pubescent boys in the hall cheered, "And representing our very own Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, we have Gaara and Harry Potter!"

The cheers were noticeably louder for the 'native' Champions, who entirely lacked the pride and showmanship of the elder Champions, who had stepped forwards and presented themselves to their adoring public with gusto. Gaara didn't so much as flinch when his name was yelled out and Harry looked about ready to run back into the trophy room if the Ministry workers and professors cleared the way.

That might have been why Professors Moody and Snape stood in front of the door. McGonagall noticed this placement and wondered whether she should applaud their supporting Harry or chastise them for tormenting the poor boy. In any case, she would have to look into revising her syllabus in the near future to include more presentations.

If a young Gryffindor like Harry was cowed by something like this, she needed to encourage her lions to appear in front of crowds and stand tall.

Although, he might also be cowed by the looming spectre of death, but there wasn't much she could reasonably do to prepare her precious students for that. She wouldn't want to, anyhow.

Realising she was just trying to distract herself from the worrisome reality in front of her, she grit her teeth and refocused her attention on the continuing speech. Crouch had continued speaking to reiterate the dates of the Tasks and the rule of the Tournament, including that professors (including her) may intervene or aid the Champions in preparing for their Tasks beyond the scope of their duties in teaching their subjects as normal.

She would definitely be making a number of impromptu revisions to her lesson plans over the coming months, then.

She had vowed, the moment Harry's name was announced, that she would do everything she could to help the boy. That was more than could be said about their Minister for Magic, who had so far only insisted on Gaara and Harry splitting their allotted guest tickets between them. Ridiculous man.

Minerva had overridden the bumbling idiot and declared that the boys could share their family tickets, seeing as they technically shared the same guardian, but that they would be allowed to have their friends come and watch them. She did not leave room for argument, and she would continue to exercise what little influence she could muster as long as this farce continued, even if it only amounted to token gestured like this.

Fudge fumed at the back of the stage.

He was furious beyond words by this point. Where was the respect he was owed! He was the Minister for Magic, for Merlin's sake!

When he said that Potter malcontent should be ousted, they should have leapt at his words. Instead, they will have to reorganise everything. They only just managed to get the first Task ready in time using Bagman's and Barty's underwhelming plans. Now they would have to find another dragon on short notice!

Of all the nights for Henrick to leave him alone… Whatever emergency he was working on at the Ministry, Fudge would be hearing all about it, secrecy or not.

A right ruddy disaster, this whole mess.

"And five days before the first Task, all of the Champions and everyone else will be told the nature of the first Task." Bagman continued, having taken over from Crouch a couple of minutes ago.

That was another concession he had made to Dumbledore. The old meddler had demanded – demanded! – that the participants be told ahead of time what they would be facing. As if this tournament weren't changing enough already.

"Now, I'm sure the men and women of the press here will have a few questions for our Champions, so I think it's only fair we give them a chance. Remember, please, that in order to maintain the Champions' education over the course of this year, as well as maintaining the integrity of the Tournament, the press will not be allowed to contact, directly or indirectly, any of the Champions. You may only talk to them during official events, and they may only contact you at these times too." Bagman continued smiling, as if the dire danger and drama of this evening had role off of him like water on a duck's back.

Ludo rounded on the Champions and beckoned them to the front of the stage. Viktor and Fleur stepped forwards with practiced ease, oozing confidence, like they had been born to this kind of prominence. Gaara hesitated a moment, eyeing the press gathered in front of the stage and considering whether he would indeed be breaking his deal with Dumbledore if he disappeared.

If he didn't already know the answer to that question, he wouldn't have appeared on the stage in the first place.

Harry was the last to step forward, and if he had a constitution any weaker than he had, he looked like he might have fainted. He was supposed to be amongst the teeming crowd below, watching the suicidal Champions make fools out of themselves. Instead, here he was…

Seeing as they were still children, Bagman was more than happy to guide the press interrogation rather than leave the boys and girl to fend for themselves. The vultures were not circling overhead, they had already landed and were about to dig in. He pointed to the first reporter he saw and wished he was as familiar with the various faces as some of his media-savvy colleagues.

"The Goblet of Fire has never selected a fourth Champion in the history of the Triwizard Tournament, is it believed that it was charmed? And, will there be an official inquiry into any malfunction or interference with the Goblet of Fire."

Crouch jumped in before any of the teenagers did anything stupid like trying to answer that one themselves. "I must remind everyone gathered here tonight that this press conference regards only the Champions. Any questions about the administration of the Tournament or other external matters may be directed to the Ministry of Magic later on. We will be happy to answers any questions like that at the next Ministry press briefing."

The reporter did not look satisfied and already had his hand back in the air. No one present expected him to be graced with another chance to ask a question after having jumped right into the heaviest subject right off the bat. Ludo pointed to the next journalist.

"Mr Potter, when did you enter into the Tournament?" Clearly this one was being more circumspect about asking the same question.

Harry, perpetual deer in the headlights, took his time after an audible gulp, "Erm, I didn't, really…" When more was expected of him, he added, "I'm not really sure what happened."

Next came, "My question is for Viktor Krum. Are you at all concerned that the two Hogwarts Champions may collude and gain an unfair advantage over you and Miss Delacour?"

Viktor took a sidelong glance at Harry and Gaara and smiled, "I am not concerned. I believe they are both honourable and would not behave so honestly. And besides that, they are both young and inexperienced. I do not fear them, together or apart."

That eased some of the tension in the Great Hall, but the gathered reporters did not take that as an excuse to cease their assault.

"Gaara, is the occurrence of an additional Champion in any way related to yours and Harry Potter's shared guardian, Sirius Black, and known critic of the Ministry of Magic?"

All eyes turned to Gaara but his expression did not change. "No." He answered calmly and softly.

Everybody waited a second for more to come but when it became apparent Gaara was done, the next question was asked, again of Gaara.

"After you came to the public's attention over the summer due to your actions during the dementor attack on Hogwarts and then again with the riot at the Quidditch World Cup, neither you nor the Ministry have disclosed any information regarding your background to the press, including your full name, which is not even included in the registry here at Hogwarts."

"Is there a question somewhere in there?" Ludo interjected.

"What secrets are the Ministry helping you to hide? And is it possible that you are in fact the additional Champion, recognised by the Goblet as outside of Hogwarts?"

"None, and no." Gaara again said. He had none of the showmanship or flare that Viktor had, nor the open vulnerability that Harry displayed.

The press conference went on and on, with almost every journalist present getting at least one chance to ask a question of the Champions. After it became obvious that Gaara would not be giving any full or insightful answers, the majority of the questions bypassed him for Harry or the other two Champion, who were all too happy to answer.

When the questions about the peculiarity of Harry's selection finally dried up, when it became clear that Harry could offer no answers because he himself either didn't know or wasn't willing to admit knowing anything, the press moved on to some more palatable questions about the Champions themselves and their feelings on the impending Tournament.

One asked how each felt about being famous. Fleur gave an inspirational speech about acting with dignity and grace, to make a fitting example for the people of Britain and her home. Viktor chuckled and said he already knew a little about being famous, so this would not affect him. Harry struggled not to stare at his feet and only managed to say that he hoped the Tournament would go fast.

Gaara didn't answer, he just continued to stare into space.

A few people in the hall laughed at Gaara's antics. No matter if he was staring down Snape or the world's press, the small redhead never changed.

Gaara, who had long since perfected the art avoiding the awkwardness of staring at people by finding a blank space on which to let his gaze linger, was purposefully avoiding looking at anybody right now. He had made the mistake of looking around the Great Hall earlier in the press conference and was not ready to make the same mistake again.

At the Gryffindor table, he had found the Twins waving and doing everything in their power to get Harry's attention on them, at which point they gave exaggerated thumbs-ups and mimed congratulations to him. Gaara had not looked to Harry at that moment, but he imagined Harry was anything but encouraged by the behaviour.

The two thirds of the Golden Trio sat at the table were visibly worried. It was painful to look at the pair as they anguished over Harry's absence, worse when Granger made eye contact with Gaara and she made a face at him as if she were trying to signal something. Considering Gaara had difficulty deciphering a number of standard, everyday facial expressions, the hope that he would be able to work out this complex facial message was entirely forlorn.

Turning away, he ended up looking for and then at someone else. Luna was not in conversation with any of her housemates, she was sitting apart from them as those closest to her had turned to chat with people on their other sides. In spite of this continual isolation, Luna smiled and waved excitedly at him when he glanced at her.

Her total obliviousness to the situation at hand and intense familiarity with him sent him looking away again.

And then he mistakenly let his eyes wander to familiar territory and had to quickly avert his gaze after an instant of Draco's most piercing glare yet. After all he had put his friend through in the last couple of weeks and months, Gaara wondered if Draco would ever be able to forgive him.

A darker part of Gaara's mind, deeper than even Shukaku's voice, questioned whether Gaara should expect Draco to keep forgiving him. Monsters cannot change their behaviour any more than the sky can stop being blue. Clouds can cover it, the setting or rising sun can tint it, but it always reverts eventually to its true colours.

Rasa has said something to that affect once in Gaara's life when he had, in his childhood naiveté, asked if he could ever stop hurting the people around him.

It was quite possibly the last time Rasa has spoken to him outside of issuing mission directives, over a year before the man's timely death.

So, with all of this flying around in his head like so much sand, Gaara's focus was not on the press asking him questions or Harry, who was trying in vain to get Gaara to answer them.

The questions, a quarter of which were unanswered, went on longer than anyone really thought necessary. The Hogwarts staff were the ones to break up the conference, to the relief of many.

Enough had been disclosed that night to write full biographies of Viktor Krum and Fleur Delacour. In fact, full sections of those biographies would appear in many papers the next day. Voldemort might have resurrected that night and he would have been pushed to the bottom of page eight, such was the ubiquitous coverage of the Triwizard Tournament in magical Europe.

While not nearly enough to counterbalance the horror of the evening, there was one small upside to Harry's (forced) involvement. Always one to shy away from public attention, no matter how hard it sought him out, Harry had been made aware of a number of inaccuracies in his personal history reported in at least four books (that Hermione had read).

He was trained personally by Nicholas Flamel for the first ten years of his life. He was hidden in Australia with a powerful society of wizards and witches, who used dark rituals to make him more powerful than anybody his age (Hermione had actually laughed aloud as she recounted that one). His accidental magic had been so potent and destructive that he levelled a small village in Cornwall and Dumbledore had to cover it up.

Ron had found these so funny, he actually went and read two of the more outlandish accounts of Harry's life. Those two books were still being passed around the Weasley clan, all of whom quite enjoyed their fantastical tales – they were exceedingly well written, even if they had no connection to reality. Hermione had postulated that at least one of them had been written by Gilderoy Lockhart under a penname. The only Weasley to refuse the books had been Molly, who didn't like stories without a whirlwind romance.

Ginny, it turned out, already had creased copies of both under her bed, though she swore she hadn't so much as opened them since meeting Harry two years ago.

The press interview uncovered a number of facts about Harry's upbringing (missing out some of the more discomfiting details of the Dursley's 'care' of him) that would serve to dispel many of the myths that had sprung up in his absence from the magical world those ten years.

The reporters, despite having each filled notebooks, had to be shepherded out of the Great Hall in the same manner as last night, all still trying and failing to get their last question answered. The students, who had been excited to begin with, were almost all flagging by the end.

Fudge, who was still pretending to be there only as a spectator, hurried after the wall of reporters to give a final 'informal' press conference outside the castle. The majority of his staff and attendants. Including Barty Crouch and Ludo Bagan, trailed after him, and suddenly the bustle that had pervaded the hall for the past couple of hours fell silent.

Dumbledore took centre stage one last time that evening.

"And with that, I believe we can call it a night. The events of this evening will surely be cause for much discussion, but please remember that breakfast will not wait and those who sto [k'pojk'poj'poj'pojk'pojk

sleep after their alarms may have to go hungry until lunch." This might have seemed like an attempt to lighten the lethargic mood but for the sombre note in the old man's voice marking it as a sincere piece of advice.

"Now, please join me in another round of applause for our gathered Triwizard Champions as they exit the hall." He said, starting a round of applause that belied everyone's eagerness to go to bed, or at least retire to their dormitories to discuss the evening's events.

Not needing any further prompting, happy to be leaving at last, Harry and Gaara led the way for Viktor and Fleur down the centre aisle. Both boys walked fast and avoiding looking to either side at the clapping and cheering crowds while Fleur and Viktor hung back and waved to their adoring public.

They exited the Great Hall and the professor waited a minute or two before trying to organise a civilised departure from the hall for all of the collected students. It was like herding cranky felines.

OXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Sirius sat with his mouth agape and his eye vacant as Remus proceeded to clear up the bear his friend had absently spilled five minutes before. Kreacher had not appeared so Remus felt compelled to try and clean a little. It was better than sitting around and listening to more of the radio's commentary.

…both of them…

Both of them had entered the Triwizard Tournament and somehow, contrary to luck, logic, and the ancient laws of the Tournament itself, both of the boys had been chosen to represent Hogwarts.

Sirius could not process it. Both of them had gone behind his back. He wasn't a stuffed shirt. He was the fun one, the one they were supposed to come to with girl problems, or advice on pranking, or whatever Gaara might want to come to him for…

Instead, they had both not only elected to enter into the Tournament, they had lied to him about it. He just couldn't understand it. And now they were in a terrible danger from which Sirius could not help them.

Despite circumstances, it annoyed Remus that Sirius only seemed to recover from his shock after the mess had been cleaned up, but he supposed now was not the time to lambast the layabout. Plus, telling him off had never stopped him from shirking chores before now.

Sirius exhaled heavily and sat back in his chair, glaring at his empty bottle and considering calling on Kreacher to bring him another. He wasn't sure whether getting drunk right now would help or hurt.

"I'm sure there's more to it than we know." Remus said, sitting back down.

"What's there to know? They entered, they didn't tell me. In fact, they told me they weren't going to enter."

"I'm sure they'll have some sort of reason for that. Can you imagine Gaara just deciding to get rich and famous from performing in a Tournament? And Harry, do you think for a second that he wants more attention?"

"Then why-"

"I don't know. I doubt anybody does. You know what it's like being a teenager. You're practically still one yourself."

Sirius smirked in spite on himself.

"Do you seriously think we wouldn't have done something as bad if not worse if the same opportunities presented themselves when we were at Hogwarts. You and James would have challenged each other to duels for the right to take part in the Triwizard Tournament. As a matter of fact, I recall James actually wishing he had the chance to participate in the Tournament when Lily brought it up in a conversation about the silly things wizards do to each other."

"I don't remember that."

"Really? You said James wouldn't make it past the first round and then he slapped you around the back of the head and you fell out of the boat."

"We were in a boat?"

"You really don't remember any of this? You splashed around until you realised you were only in two feet of water, and then you pretended to be drowning as loudly as you could, screaming that James Potter had murdered the eldest son of the House of Black and declared a blood feud. Cost us 20 house points, too."

"I can't believe I don't remember that."

"Well, to be fair, you declared blood feuds with James quite regularly that year. You only stopped because Regulus overheard you that one time, mistook you for serious and tried cursing James."

"Now that I remember." Sirius smirked, sadder now, remembering Regulus.

"What I'm getting at is: teenagers do dumb things. All the time. I'd thought for a long time that it was just us, that we were worse than everyone else, but having taught at Hogwarts, I can say for sure that we were just staying true to form."

"No, we were exceptional." Sirius defended.

Remus was not going to debate this. "And teenagers also like to keep secrets. Especially about the dumb stuff they get up to. Gaara and Harry are far from normal, I don't think anybody can deny that, but in this, they are pretty typical."

"You know, their stepmother saying that they're abnormal will only hurt their self-esteem."

"I'm not their stepmother." Remus said, wondering where this was going.

"Well, I'm certainly not the mother. I'm the stepfather." Sirius said, aghast.

"Sirius, we're not together." Remus said, having heard this or similar jokes before.

Sirius pretended to tear up. "Why won't you love me?!"

"Oh, for goodness sake. This is why you're a teenager." Remus said, rubbing his eyelids.

Sirius chuckled to himself briefly before the mirth dried up and they were back to listening to the radio in silence. The commentary was a little erratic as the presenter scrambled to say something in the wake of the fourth Champion's announcement and the disappearance of anybody in power to explain it.

The number of times the radio host asked rhetorical questions about the situation or when the Minister, the Headmaster or one of the Champions would come back out from the Trophy Room made both the inhabitants of Grimmauld Place wonder if they couldn't find any more competent presenters.

And then everyone re-emerged and the reporting could continue properly.

The moment that it was announced that both Harry and Gaara would be allowed to compete against one another and the other two Champions was the moment Sirius lost hope that they would be able to avoid this mess entirely.

Then came the interview and Harry's claims of innocence. Sirius was quick to believe in his godson, but that made his forced participation all the worse. It also raised the question of why on God's Earth Gaara had entered, since Gaara was not forthcoming with any explanation during the interview.

Sirius wanted to storm the Ministry of Magic that evening, after he had finished his second beer, and demand they release at least Harry from the Tournament, if not both of the boys.

Remus, ever the voice of reason, had tried to avoid the probable arrest by explaining that there was little hope that the Minister would back down now that they had endorsed both boys competing. Certainly, it would be best to wait until tomorrow when tempers had cooled and the alcohol, which would most definitely be increasing before then, had left Sirius' system.

"It was supposed to be a simple year. No mass murderer after them, no dementors. Maybe watch the Tournament, but nothing dangerous!" Sirius lamented.