Mia Potter was the other Potter. Looking almost identical to her mother, she was a force to be reckoned with. But there was only one person who could reckon with her, and his name was Draco Malfoy.
In which the youngest Potter twin finds herself fa...
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Mia sat there, aware that every head in the Great Hall had turned to look at her. She was stunned. She felt numb. She was surely dreaming. She had not heard correctly.
There was no applause. A buzzing, as though of angry bees, was starting to fill the Hall. Some students were standing up to get a better look at Mia as she sat, frozen, in her seat.
Up at the top table, Professor McGonagall had got to her feet and swept past Ludo Bagman and Professor Karkaroff to whisper urgently to Professor Dumbledore, who bent his ear toward her, frowning slightly. Hagrid was shaking his head, muttering ,"No, no." as Mia felt slightly relieved. Mia turned to Harry, Ron and Hermione. Beyond them, she saw the long Gryffindor table all watching her, openmouthed.
"Euphemia Potter!"
Mia's head snapped back to Dumbledore.
"Up here, if you please!"
"Go on," Hermione whispered, giving Mia a slight push.
Mia got to her feet and set off up the gap between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables. It felt like an immensely long walk; the top table didn't seem to be getting any nearer at all, and she could feel hundreds and hundreds of eyes upon her, as though each were a searchlight. The buzzing grew louder and louder. After what seemed like an hour, she was right in front of Dumbledore, feeling the stares of all the teachers upon her.
"Well. . . through the door, Mia," said Dumbledore. He wasn't smiling.
Mia moved off along the teachers' table. She looked back at the Gryffindor table before she went through the door out of the Great Hall and found herself in a smaller room, lined with paintings of witches and wizards. A handsome fire was roaring in the fireplace opposite him.
The faces in the portraits turned to look at her as she entered. She saw a wizened witch flit out of the frame of her picture and into the one next to it, which contained a wizard with a walrus moustache. The wizened witch started whispering in his ear.
Viktor Krum, Cedric Diggory, and Fleur Delacour were grouped around the fire. They looked strangely impressive, silhouetted against the flames. Krum, hunched-up and brooding, was leaning against the mantelpiece, slightly apart from the other two. Cedric was standing with his hands behind his back, staring into the fire. Fleur Delacour looked around when Mia walked in and threw back her sheet of long, silvery hair.
"What is it?" she said. "Do zey want us back in ze Hall?"
"I, um," Mia began as she stared at the three of them. She just stood there, looking at the three champions. It struck her how very tall all of them were.
There was a sound of scurrying feet behind her, and Ludo Bagman entered the room. He took Mia by the arm and led him forward.
"Extraordinary!" he muttered, squeezing Mia's arm. "Absolutely extraordinary! Gentlemen, lady," he added, approaching the fireside and addressing the other three. "May I introduce, incredible though it may seem, the fourth Triwizard champion?"
Viktor Krum straightened up. His surly face darkened as he surveyed Mia. Cedric looked nonplussed. He looked from Bagman to Mia and back again as though sure he must have misheard what Bagman had said.
Fleur Delacour, however, tossed her hair, smiling, and said, "Oh, vairy funny joke, Meester Bagman."
The door behind them opened again, and a large group of people came in. Professor Dumbledore, followed closely by Mr. Crouch, Professor Karkaroff, Madame Maxime, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Snape. Mia heard the buzzing of the hundreds of students on the other side of the wall, before Professor McGonagall closed the door.
"Madame Maxime!" said Fleur at once, striding over to her headmistress. "Zey are saying zat zis little girl is to compete also!"
Somewhere under Mia's numb disbelief she felt a ripple of anger. Little girl?
"Little girl?" Mia asked, an eyebrow raised.
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. Professor Dumbledore was now looking down at Mia, 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, Mia?" he asked calmly.
"No," said Mia. She was very aware of everybody watching her 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.
"No," said Mia vehemently.
"Ah, but of course 'e is lying!" cried Madame Maxime.
"Can I say something?" Mia said, getting the attention on her. "How do you expect a fourteen year old to break past the magic of Professor Dumbledore? It's not possible. I did not put my name in that Goblet. I'll even take Veritaserum to tell you the truth."
"Ah, but of course 'e is lying!" cried Madame Maxime. Mia clenched her jaw.
"She 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! Mia could not have crossed the line herself, and as Professor Dumbledore believes that she did not persuade an older student to do it for her, I'm sure that should be good enough for everybody else! She's even willing to take Veritaserum!"
"The Goblet of Fire is an exceptionally powerful magical object, only an exceptionally powerful conjurer could have hoodwinked it," Moody said, "magic way beyond the talents of a fourth year, no matter what additional powers she has."
"You seem to have given this a fair bit of thought Mad-Eye," Karkaroff said as Moody glared at him.
"It was once my job to think as dark wizards do Karkaroff perhaps you remember?" he asked back as McGonagall rolled her eyes.
"Enough, both of you," she said sharply.
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."
"W-What?" Mia asked.
"How this situation arose, we do not know," said Dumbledore, speaking to everyone gathered in the room. "It seems to me, however, that we have no choice but to accept it. Both Cedric and Mia have been chosen to compete in the Tournament. This, therefore, they will do. . . . "
"So it's settled," Mr. Crouch said, "Miss. Potter has no choice, she is as of tonight, a tri-wizard champion."
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Instead of walking back to the Gryffindor common room, Mia took a detour to the Astronomy tower. She climbed to the very top of the tower, her eyes watering as she sat down. She leant against the wall as she shut her eyes and a few tears fell out her eyes and down her freckled cheeks. She took a shuddering breath as she opened her eyes and looked up at the starry sky. She looked back down at her hands and stifled a sob.
