Damaged Raven

34

Harry and Fleur sat in the tri-wizard champions tent with the other champions, they were all currently waiting for the first task to start. Fleur knew what it was thanks to her headmistress, she told Harry about it but he already knew because Hagrid had told him. Say what you want about Hagrid but the dude has a pure heart. The pair already knew that Krum knew thanks to his headmaster, so it seemed like Cedric was the only one who didn't know. Harry had spent a total of a minute wondering if he should tell Cedric, he weighed the pro's and cons of it.

Cons: If Cedric told on him then he could get in trouble but he didn't care about getting in trouble so that didn't matter. Cedric now stood a better chance in the tournament, but he didn't care about the tournament so that didn't matter.

Pros: Cedric is popular in Hufflepuff and could help in getting them to stop bothering him. Delphi would be happy with him and not complain about him not telling Cedric, also if Cedric dies then Harry doesn't have to feel bad because he actually helped.

In the end Harry told the Hufflepuff who was very grateful.

Harry, who currently had his head resting on Fleur's lap as she rubbed her hands through his hair, was pretending to be oblivious to the rest of the world. But he wasn't, the reactions to the article that Rita Skeeter wrote were impossible to ignore. Many people now looked at him with pitying and sympathetic looks while others looked apologetic.

Many who entered their names in the goblet were now worried about the possibility of something happening to them, the British wizarding community were practically rioting at the use of the goblet of fire, even other countries had contacted the British ministry and demanded its destruction. It was highly unlikely for them to be able to make a new one, the goblet was an ancient artifact made using magic that was lost by today's world.

The ministry and Dumbledore were all under heavy fire from the public and everyone from the minister to Dumbledore received howlers nearly every day, the public were all demanding that the goblet of fire be destroyed. Muggleborns because they did not want to leave the magical world or die, purebloods also as they did not want to risk someone doing the same to them. All of the country was in agreement over what should happen to the goblet.

Eventually a statement was released saying that it would be destroyed right after the tournament, whenever Harry saw Dumbledore he looked much more tired and old than usual, the old man was under heavier fire than most. The man had always had enemies and they decided to take advantage of the opportunity to try and make things worse for him, there was also the parents of those who had put their names in the goblet along with many students. Students from all houses were angry with Dumbledore, pretty much all the Slytherins along with most of the Hufflepuff's and Ravenclaws and a few of the Gryffindor's.

In fact most of the country was pissed with him as nobody really fancied losing their magic, and the fact that the great Albus Dumbledore of all people supported using such a deadly and dark artifact had really rubbed people the wrong way, especially when it was a fourteen year old boy who realised and pointed out how dangerous it was before any of the adults that were supposed to be magical experts.

Harry sighed with pleasure as he felt Fleur's fingers run through his hair, he looked up and she smiled at him. Cedric and Krum were wearing protective padding and robes, yellow and black robes for Cedric as he was a Hufflepuff while Krum wore red and brown robes with a red bird symbol on his chest. Fleur had opted for a white and blue dress to represent her school, everyone had expected Harry to arrive in a similar outfit to Cedric and Krum but blue to show his association with Ravenclaw.

Harry was currently wearing black dragon hide boots and trousers, along with a black shirt and that was it. Harry was not willing to wear a robe when he knew he could potentially be fighting a dangerous creature and was not going to get bitten because he tripped on one. As Harry lay with his head in Fleur's lap, he briefly began wondering if he should put on his mask. From what he had read, dragons take showing teeth to be a challenge, so it's probably be better if he didn't risk it.