Beyond the Breaking Point

Story

Harry is done. He's tired and angry, and just done. It's Halloween and all he wants to do is sit on his bed in Gryffindor tower and honor his parents. Though of course he can't; he has to see who is foolish enough to enter this senseless death tournament. So, here he sat, at Gryffindor table in the Great Hall. Chattering voices could be hear throughout but Harry was not paying attention to the voices. He was watching the brilliant blue flames dance around inside the Goblet of Fire. Harry's thoughts were broken by Dumbledore's voice, a voice that made Harry want to punch the person owning it in the face, but sadly, Harry could not. "Sit down, please" Dumbledore said in a voice that was full of fake and forced solemness. Everyone went silent and sat down. "Now the moment you've all been waiting for, the champions selection." His voice was sounding a little more joyful but still full of gloom. With a sharp spin Dumbledore dimmed the lights before approaching the Goblet and resting his hands on it. A minute after Dumbledore touched the Goblet, the flames changed from a brilliant blue and a bright red, spitting out a slip of parchment. As the parchment started to fall Dumbledore reached out and grabbed it. After reading it he shouts "The Durmstrang Champion is Victor Krum!" After he said this everyone started to clap for Krum, well, except for Harry; he was clapping for the enchanting site of the flames in the Goblet changing color. The other students from Durmstrang clap Krum on the back as he walks past to meet Dumbledore by the Goblet. He shakes Dumbledore's hand before walking to the Champion's Chamber to wait for more instructions.The flames in the goblet light up again in a spectacular red before spitting out another piece of parchment. 'That's another thing: parchment really? People stopped using parchment in like the 15th century, It's the 20th century and these people are stuck in the middle ages. I mean seriously, how do people get this behind, and why muggleborns are not bringing in tech and other useful things is beyond me.' Harry's thoughts were once again broken by Dumbledore as he announced the second name that came out of the goblet. "The champion of Beauxbatons is Fleur Delacour," he said. Again, everyone except Harry claps for the girl. Even though some of the other girls from Beauxbatons looked slightly jealous of Fleur, they clapped none the less. The smile that Fleur gave had almost all the guys drooling. Harry was the exception; yes, girls were pretty, but he doesn't swing that way. Fleur walked up to Dumbledore, shook his hand, and walked into the room that Krum was waiting in. As the Flames changed for the third time and yet another piece of parchment was shot out, all the Hogwarts students were anxious. All the Hufflepuffs burst into cheers when Dumbledore announced, "The Hogwarts Champion Cedric Diggory". Cedric had just made it into the room with the other champions when Dumbledore spoken again "Excellent! We now have our three Champions" in a cheerful voice, which you could tell was fake. However, Harry was saving all the data he's getting on Dumbledore. "But in the end," Dumbledore continued but in a more solemn voice, "only one will go down in history. Only one will hoist this chalice of champions, this vessel of victory." He pauses for dramatic effect. "The Triwizard Cup!" he yelled in an almost triumphant voice. While Dumbledore was talking a Ministry, a worker named Barty Crouch had brought out something covered in cloth. As Dumbledore called 'The Triwizard Cup!' Mr. Crouch uncovered the object he'd brought out. People clapped but Harry froze. A huge, sinking feeling of dread appeared in Harry's stomach as soon as he saw the cup. Harry and Snape were the first to notice that the blue flames in the Goblet were acting strangely: they were twisting and flipping like it was getting out of control. When Snape took a step toward the Goblet everyone else followed his gaze to it. As Dumbledore approached the flaring flames, they turned cherry red once more. Dumbledore had to cover his eyes from the color of the flames. Harry, even though his dread, noticed the Headmaster of Durmstrang looked particularly angry and suspicious. The red flames shot out a piece of paper. "good old regular line paper. Merlin don't you just love the advancements of society?" Harry thought. "Harry potter?" Dumbledore's voice showing disbelief to many but if you were listening close enough you could hear an underlying satisfaction. Dumbledore looked around trying to find Harry. "Harry Potter?!" he said louder, his voice not changing. Most people halfheartedly looked for Harry. Hagrid was talking to himself quietly "No, no". Dumbledore, getting impatient yells "Harry Potter!"