Chapter Text
"Are you sure?" Harry was a bit surprised.
"Yes, we heard Molly and Albus speaking about it. She promised that Ron would do his part. I am not sure what he is going to be doing but she said she would make sure he would." Sirius looked at Remus. "They thought we were upstairs. You would think as wizards they would have used a privacy charm."
"Good thing they didn't or we wouldn't have known. Harry, you need to speak to Severus. He should be able to come up with an idea of what to do."
Remus was a bit worried. Harry could see it on his face. "I think I have an idea on what to do. He already explained everything about the Tournament. I know the twins are attempting to get around the age line."
"He is lucky I haven't cursed him yet but be prepared, tomorrow he will be sporting a new look." Sirius gave Harry a devilish grin.
"Why were they there?" Harry wasn't sure why Molly hadn't moved back to the Burrow.
"Molly has decided it is her job to refurbish my home. I have sealed off most of the rooms which they haven't noticed. Kreacher has been assisting me in keeping her busy."
"Yes, Sirius' idea of adding some Boggarts to the rooms she is working in has been interesting." Remus looked at his mate. "We decided to permit her presence in the hopes of learning more as we did tonight."
Harry saw the benefit in that arrangement. "Still housebound, Sirius?"
"Yes." Sirius spent the next minute imitating Dumbledore as he listed off the reasons why he had to remain hidden.
"I better go, I don't want Weasley to know I was speaking to you. He has been trying to get into my trunk again." Harry had upped the security on his trunk with parselwards. "He had spiders come after him last time. I think his sister might also have tried as I saw her hand with a stinging hex mark on it."
"Good, glad we could help. I wasn't happy learning they were using the map without your permission." Remus had taught Harry what was needed to protect Harry's trunk with Sirius encouraging him to have the spells done in parseltongue that way they couldn't be removed.
"Pongslet, you be careful, pup. He is up to something." Sirius warned.
"I will. Thank you, I better go. It's almost curfew which means he will want to chat, play chess, or sleep."
"Night pup, write us a letter." Remus had explained how Dumbledore was reading Harry's mail. It was why they were also using the mirrors.
Harry put the mirror away. He couldn't believe what Sirius and Remus just told him. He wasn't able to prevent it from happening but that didn't mean he wasn't going to take someone down with him or in this case, get a bit of protection for a change. Harry had to sneak away from Granger and Weasley to speak to a few people to see how it might be possible.
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"Potter, detention." Severus looked at the potion. It was perfect until Granger dropped some ginger into it. He couldn't remove points from the girl but he was going to give Harry full credit for the ruined mess. "Remain after class."
"Yes, sir." Harry looked at Draco who gave a quick tilt of his head toward Granger. Harry nodded his agreement.
Harry sighed as he finished cleaning up his potion station waiting for Granger and Weasley to leave. If they thought he was going to speak while they were present, they were on some heavy-duty drugs. He had never been friends with them and they still kept trying to be seen as his friend. He was only a Gryffindor because he got the message loud and clear from Hagrid, Weasley, and Granger before he entered the castle for the first time.
"Granger, Weasley, stop procrastinating and get out." Severus glared from behind his desk. "Five points for procrastinating from Gryffindor." He heard Weasley mumbling. "Five points for disrespect, Weasley."
Harry was trying not to laugh. Weasley lost more points for disrespect than anyone he had ever seen. As soon as they left, Severus put up privacy wards. "I got an interesting letter from the mutts."
"Yeah, they heard some information from Dumbles and Mrs. Mouthy." Harry had little respect for either of them.
"Harry, respect. I know I taught you better and while I agree with you regarding them, you still should show some respect at Hogwarts." Severus gave his stern face before relaxing it. "Out of professor mode. The three of us thought of a way to help you while protecting you and giving Dumbledore a bit of a shocker."
"Great. Oh, I have the map with me. I can show you what I mean about seeing Mad-Eye and a Bart in the same room. Remus and Sirius didn't make an expansion charm for the map so it didn't work when I tried it." Harry pulled out the map and opened it. He looked quickly at the spot he saw the name Alastor Moody. "See. Mad-Eye is in the same room but now look at where the name Bart is." Harry pointed to the DADA classroom.
Severus had seen the map over the years as Remus had informed him about it almost a decade ago. He had asked Finch for it and the man gave it to him. It was how they were able to listen in on conversations in the Headmaster's office. They would send Phineas and a few other portraits to the Headmaster's office. It had helped them locate Harry after Severus learned from Phineas about the three objects in the Headmaster's office. A bit of illegal blood magic and Severus located Harry. Severus and Remus had raised Harry but each year they put blood and hair at the Dursleys to keep the blood wards powered. They also had to scramble when Dumbledore decided to send Hagrid to fetch Harry from the Dursleys. Remus had played Petunia, Severus had played Vernon while the Dursleys had won a free day at some muggle park that Harry mentioned. They played Vernon each year depending on who Dumbledore sent with Harry.
"I am wondering if it is Barty Crouch, Jr.? He would be the only one I can think of but he died in Azkaban." Severus frowned a bit. "Barty was a Ravenclaw, very smart, and a very good mimic. He could mimic anyone."
"Do you think it might be another attempt at his return?" Harry didn't want to be involved in the war Dumbledore wanted or Dumbledore's yearly tests. Harry had hoped the man had gotten a clue when Severus, Dumbledore, Minerva, and Filius had to destroy the second-floor bathroom to get into the Chamber of Secrets that Ginny had opened.
"One that Dumbledore is aware of, I wager. He has to be aware that someone is playing Mad-Eye. Dumbledore and Mad-Eye have known each other for twenty-plus years." Severus frowned a bit. "I will need to borrow your mirror. I want to speak to Remus. The Mutt might need to steal a few things from the twins to aid in some spying on Dumbledore." He was also going to send the mutts some truth serum. Molly would be easy to get information out of.
Harry pulled out the mirror and handed it over. "I better go, I bet Granger and Weasley are waiting for me in the common room." Harry stood up. "Have we decided on what to do regarding the return?"
"No, over the holiday, I believe we will need to make a decision." Severus had a feeling they couldn't delay picking a side any longer.
"OK."
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Harry almost snarled as his name was pulled from the Goblet of Fire as Weasley whined about not informing him about entering and Granger accused him of cheating. "I didn't enter." Harry stood up. However, before he could take a step the Goblet spat out another piece of paper.
"Albus Dumbledore." Dumbledore looked shocked. He flipped the paper over before peering into the Goblet after it died. The students were now confused as was everyone else.
Harry glanced at Severus. Severus gave him a quick smirk before his face went back to the mask of scorn he wore at Hogwarts. Harry glanced at Mad-Eye, the man looked speechless with his mouth hanging open. Harry walked to the door that the three previous champions had used. He heard Dumbledore following behind him as well as a few other professors.
"Why is he here?" Igor looked at Harry.
"It appears we have two more champions." Severus was enjoying this. "Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter."
"How?" Minerva had the paper with Dumbledore's name on it.
"Barty, what do the rules say?" Dumbledore had wanted Harry's name to come out of the Goblet and he had made sure to enter it. However, he wasn't expecting his own name to be entered or having it come out of the Goblet of Fire.
Barty Crouch, Sr. looked confused. He wasn't sure what to say. Dumbledore had explained about Potter being needed to be in the tournament but he wasn't expecting Dumbledore to be entered. "I am afraid a magical contract is a magical contract. We have five champions."
Harry wanted to laugh. He wasn't sure what Sirius, Remus, and Severus were going to do regarding his entrance into the tournament that Sirius and Remus had heard between Dumbledore and Molly. He was just happy they had enough warning to do something about it. "Something must be done, Albus' magical skill will outclass everyone."
"Unless we limit it his magic to a fourth-year set of spells or below," Severus suggested.
"Yes, we must limit his magic." Minerva agreed as did the others in the room. Dumbledore had tried to change the rules but no one was agreeing with his idea of upping it to the seventh-year set of spells for Harry and him. "However, Harry's will not be limited. He is the youngest and he will be permitted to use the same spells as everyone entered in the tournament."
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"What?" Harry looked at Severus. "Dragons?"
"Yes, he wants Hagrid to take you out tonight to see them. Everyone else knows already." Severus had been furious when he heard the first task was going to be dragons.
"What is the task?" Harry wasn't sure what he could do if he had to fight against a dragon.
"You have to get a fake egg from a nesting dragon." Severus was going to be spiking Dumbledore's lemon drops for the rest of the man's life which was going to be very short if Harry got hurt. While he may put up with Sirius, Sirius would join him and Remus in killing Dumbledore if anything happened to Harry.
"Any ideas?"
"Use your skills." Severus did his version of speaking in parseltongue.
Harry started laughing. "You just said that you mar a chair it tasted good."
"Nevermind, you. Go and research. I am sure Dumbledore will transfigure something."