ALWAYS (Harry Potter fanfiction) (Snape fanfiction)

Chapter 31

Arabella immediately went to Harry's side, and hugged him tightly, feeling the other three champions' eyes burning a hole in the back of her head.

"Everything's gonna be okay Harry, this must be a mistake. They can't make you compete" Arabella tried to tell him. Not sure if she was trying to comfort Harry... or herself. She couldn't let her little brother be in such danger, he was just a boy. Arabella took a couple steps back as the teachers came in, led by Dumbledore.

"Harry, did you put your name in the Goblet of Fire?" Dumbledore asked, calmly. As calm as he was, Arabella could tell he was beyond furious on the inside.

"N-n-no, sir. I did not"

"Did you ask one of the older students to do it for you?"

"No!"

"Her! His sister, she must have helped him!" Igor Karkaroff said, taking notice in Arabella, hiding between Viktor and Cedric, he grabbed her arm painfully and pulled her into the center of the room, with so much force she almost tripped.

"Get your hands off my daughter, Igor" Snape threatened. Karkaroff let go off her and she straightened her uniform.

"Well, did you, girl?" Madame Maxime asked in a thick French accent.

"No, I did not. Even if I wanted to, which I do not, I completely oppose this Tournament, I would have not been able to, I am not seventeen yet, I would have not been able to cross the line myself" Arabella explained.

Cedric walked to her and pulled her away from Karkaroff and Maxime. They stood by the fireplace, where Snape checked his daughter's arm, to make sure Karkaroff had not hurt her.

"Well, then of course he is lying!" Madame Maxime said, turning his attention to Harry.

"The Goblet of Fire is an exceptionally powerful magical object! Only an exceptionally powerful confundus charm could have  confounded it. Magic way beyond the talents of a fourth year! Someone must have put Harry's name under a fourth school's name, hoping he might not survive the tasks" Moody told Dumbledore, who seemed to think about it, then nodded.

"You seem to have given this a fair bit of thought, Mad Eye!" Igor Karkaroff told Moody venemously.

"It was once my job to think as dark wizards do, Karkaroff, perhaps you remember" Moody said darkly.

"I leave this to you, Barty" Dumbledore told Mr. Crouch.

"The rules are absolute" Barty Crouch said, "the Goblet of Fire constitutes a binding magical contract. Mr. Potter has no choice, he is, as of tonight, a Triwizard Champion"

"Have all of you gone mental?" Arabella yelled, "he is but a boy! You made the rules, therefore, you can change them!" Arabella yelled at them, "he cannot compete!"

They seemed to not have listened, or perhaps they decided to ignore her, because the next thing that happened is that Crouch informed them the first task would be November 24th, the champions should not receive any help, and the information of the second task would be learnt after completing the first task. When they were dismissed, Arabella immediately went to Harry.

"I will help you in any way that I can, Harry. Let me just do some research and ask around, okay?" Arabella told him, kissing his head.

"But Mr. Crouch said-"

"I don't care what that old bat said, you are my brother and I'm going to help you" Arabella told him sternly.

"Thank you" Harry said sincerely.

"Hey, Potter!" They both heard Cedric call from behind them, "how did you do it?" He asked Harry.

"Oh, come on, Cedric, you cannot possibly believe-" Arabella started.