Champions

Family

Contrary to expectations, the day of the Third Task dawned cold, dull, and dreary. Harry and Fleur ignored it as they trudged into the Great Hall, both feeling that the weather reflected their mood almost perfectly. As prepared as they were for the Task, they still wanted nothing to do with it — even Fleur, who had entered by choice, Maxime's manipulations notwithstanding.

But alas, they had to participate.

The first annoyance of the day arrived partway through breakfast in the form of the Daily Prophet. Skeeter had been quiet of late, seeming to have been supplanted by writers who were actually competent rather than mere muckrakers — which Harry figured was Sebastian's doing — but now she was back, and in fine form. His mood darkened ominously as he read the article:

TOURNAMENT FINALE TONIGHT!

Will Potter Cheat Again?

by Rita Skeeter

The world-famous Triwizard Tournament, being held at Hogwarts Castle, will conclude tonight with the final Task of the competition. But as the big finish approaches, one cannot help but wonder: will the legitimate Hogwarts Champion even have a chance? Cheating has run rampant, and an honorable young man like Cedric Diggory would clearly never stoop to that level, which creates an extremely uneven playing field.

While recent events have diverted our attention, we must not forget that the fix has been in right from the start, beginning with the illegal entry of Harry Potter. Our one time hero, seeking attention due to his fading fame, forced his way into the tournament, and he certainly succeeded in making more headlines as a result. It makes one wonder what else the child has done, and the lengths he might go to in order to win this most prestigious of contests.

Even the mysterious events of the now infamous Second Task are suspect. Nobody saw what went on in the lake, so how do we know what really happened? His unfortunate wife is, as a Veela, rather beautiful. What young boy would not want her?

We also saw his questionable performance in the First Task. He may have succeeded, but his methods went against the very spirit of the competition. If world famous Seeker Viktor Krum did not fly, then was it really acceptable for Harry Potter to do so? Or perhaps he thought he could show Krum up by cheating the Task with his broom?

And what will his appearance at the Third Task portend?

Given how lethal previous competitions have been, one can only hope that Potter is not as bloody minded as his recent actions have made him appear. Could one or more of our brave competitors come to harm at Potter's hand as he tries to steal the show? Only time will tell.

This reporter will be solidly rooting for Cedric Diggory, the legitimate Hogwarts Champion. He, at least, can be counted on to compete fairly, and to produce a respectable win for Hogwarts. Unless Potter cheats again, of course.

Harry stared at the article in a curious mixture of anger and astonishment. Her implications regarding the second task were particularly vile (not to mention absolutely ridiculous), and that she practically accused him of wanting to hurt his fellow competitors? He didn't even have the words to express his feelings on that!

But did she really think she was going to get away with this? Anyone with a brain had realized by now that Harry Potter was no longer the defenseless orphan with nobody to protect him. He had protectors now, and they were likely to go after her with both barrels, as the Muggles said.

And Fleur clearly agreed. "Papa will 'ave seen zis," she growled, obviously on the same wavelength as he was. "She can say goodbye to 'er career. She forgot zat people are looking after you now."

"I don't understand how she's been getting away with it in the first place," frowned Hermione from across the table. "There should be laws against this sort of thing!"