A Half Blood Against Time | A Percy Jackson AU

Chapter 17: "I'm American through and through Hugo, and I need me some coffee,"

"I'm sorry, wait a second, did you just say fourth triwizard champion? Because, you do know the 'tri' in triwizard stands for three, right?" Percy asked the organisers, "How can Harry even participate! There are already three of us! And other than tha,  he's also not 17 years old"

"I know! Isn't it spectacular?!" Bagman smiled.

"Harry's name came out off the goblet Mr. Jackson, he must participate," Dumbledore explained.

"But how?!" Percy asked, his hands moving through the air animatedly, as if he couldn't express his feelings through words alone, he turned to Harry, "Are you okay?"

"Honestly Percy? No," Harry shivered.

"Harry, I have to ask you, did you put your name in the cup?" Dumbledore asked gently.

"No sir, I didn't," Harry replied as he looked at the other champions' faces. Fleur looked like she couldn't believe what the Britishers were saying while Krum had a confused but planning expression on his face. It looked as if he was already planning for what this entailed for him.

The doors opened up again as Maxime and Karkaroff entered looking furious.
"Madame Maxime!" said Fleur at once, striding over to her headmistress. "Zey are saying zat zis little boy is to compete also!"

Somewhere under Harry's numb disbelief he felt a ripple of anger. Little boy? Percy placed his hand on Harry's shoulder giving it a squeeze, "To be fair to her, you are very short Harry." Harry looked up at Percy and grumbled, he couldn't muster up the energy for an answer.
Madame Maxime had drawn herself up to her full, and considerable, height. The top of her handsome head brushed the candle-filled chandelier, and her gigantic black-satin bosom swelled. "What is ze meaning of zis, Dumbly-dorr?" she said imperiously.
"I'd rather like to know that myself, Dumbledore," said Professor Karkaroff. He was wearing a steely smile, and his blue eyes were like chips of ice. "Two Hogwarts champions? I don't remember anyone telling me the host school is allowed two champions — or have I not read the rules carefully enough?" He gave a short and nasty laugh.
"C'est impossible," said Madame Maxime, whose enormous hand with its many superb opals was resting upon Fleur's shoulder. "'Ogwarts cannot 'ave two champions. It is most injust."
"We were under the impression that your Age Line would keep out younger contestants, Dumbledore," said Karkaroff, his steely smile still in place, though his eyes were colder than ever. "Otherwise, we would, of course, have brought along a wider selection of candidates from our own schools."

"You didn't put your name in, did you?" Percy whispered as they watched the adults argue like cats and dogs.

"No Percy, I swear I didn't!" Harry hissed.

"Alright, just checking. Fine, so if you didn't put your name in the goblet, who did?"

"I don't know!" Fleur watched the interaction between the two boys with a surprised look, she didn't know that Percy had a relationship with the Harry Potter.

"It's no one's fault but Potter's, Karkaroff," said Snape softly. His black eyes were alight with malice. "Don't go blaming Dumbledore for Potter's determination to break "rules. He has been crossing lines ever since he arrived here —""Thank you, Severus," said Dumbledore firmly, and Snape went quiet, though his eyes still glinted malevolently through his curtain of greasy black hair.Professor Dumbledore was now looking down at Harry, who looked right back at him, trying to discern the expression of the eyes behind the half-moon spectacles.

"Did you put your name into the Goblet of Fire, Harry?" he asked once more, more calmly this time, "No," said Harry. He was very aware of everybody watching him closely. Snape made a soft noise of impatient disbelief in the shadows."Did you ask an older student to put it into the Goblet of Fire for you?" said Professor Dumbledore, ignoring Snape and eyeing Percy, "No," said Harry vehemently.
"Ah, but of course 'e is lying!" cried Madame Maxime. Snape was now shaking his head, his lip curling.
"He could not have crossed the Age Line," said Professor McGonagall sharply. "I am sure we are all agreed on that —"
"Dumbly-dorr must 'ave made a mistake wiz ze line," said Madame Maxime, shrugging.
"It is possible, of course," said Dumbledore politely.
"Dumbledore, you know perfectly well you did not make a mistake!" said Professor McGonagall angrily. "Really, what nonsense! Harry could not have crossed the line himself, and as Professor Dumbledore believes that he did not persuade an older student to do it for him, I'm sure that should be good enough for everybody else!" She shot a very angry look at Professor Snape.
"Mr. Crouch . . . Mr. Bagman," said Karkaroff, his voice unctuous once more, "you are our — er — objective judges. Surely you will agree that this is most irregular?"
Bagman wiped his round, boyish face with his handkerchief and looked at Mr. Crouch, who was standing outside the circle of the firelight, his face half hidden in shadow. He looked slightly eerie, the half darkness making him look much older, giving him an almost skull-like appearance. When he spoke, however, it was in his usual curt voice. "We must follow the rules, and the rules state clearly that those people whose names come out of the Goblet of Fire are bound to compete in the tournament."
"Well, Barty knows the rule book back to front," said Bagman, beaming and turning back to Karkaroff and Madame Maxime, as though the matter was now closed.
"I insist upon resubmitting the names of the rest of my students," said Karkaroff. He had dropped his unctuous tone and his smile now. His face wore a very ugly look. "You will set up the Goblet of Fire once more, and we will continue adding names until each school has two champions. It's only fair, Dumbledore."