Gossip {Sherlock Holmes/Harry Potter}

Chapter Twelve

Pierce held his breath as Professor Dumbledore's eyes scanned the crowd the sea of students as he called out the name.

"Harry Potter."

And then called out the next name.

"Pierce Holmes."

"Pierce, he said your name. He said your name!" Julius shook his friend's arm violently as Pierce remained completely still. The Great Hall burst into whispers of confusion and shock.

"This is wrong. This is impossible." Pierce said shaking his head. "This...can't be happening. There could only be three champions. There was an Age Line..the Ministry is here..."

Julius frowned. "I told you, the tea leaves. The tea leaves, Pierce."

"To hell with the tea leaves, Julius, there's something completely wrong with this entire scenario. They can't hold the tournament. Obviously, someone rigged it-"

Julius looked up to where Professor Dumbledore stood along with the Ministry members and the other professors and school heads.

"I think they want you to go up there." Julius whispered to him.

"I'm not going up there. I want no part of this!"

"I don't think you have a say, Pierce." Julius noted Harry Potter walking up to the stage to join the other champions.

"This can't be happening." Pierce muttered under his breath. "There has to be an explanation for all of this. There has to be a logical explanation."

"Screw logic, Pierce. You need to get up there!" Julius said standing up and helping his friend to his feet.

Pierce dragged his feet as Julius guided him up through the judgmental stares of all the students that glared at him as he made his way to the front.

"What are you all looking at?" Julius snapped at those giving dirty looks. "Mind your business!"

Pierce reached Professor Dumbledore and the others before looking down to his feet as he found himself under their observation. He felt like an insect under a magnifying glass which made him feel sick to his stomach. He looked to Harry Potter who stared right back at him from behind his glasses. He looked just as confused and terrified as he was.

They were brought to a room to join the other champions and already Pierce could feel the hate emitting from the others in the room. The downright disbelief from them that two younger students had been able to "outsmart" the system. Pierce was smart but he wasn't that smart and judging by Harry's panic state, Pierce knew he wasn't capable of it, even if he was the "Boy Who Lived."

The Ministry began their question along with Dumbledore. The Headmaster was calm in his questioning as he asked each of them if they placed their name in the Goblet or if they got an older student to do it for them. Each of them answered no.

Pierce only hung out with one other student and that was Julius, and Julius wasn't capable of putting Pierce's name in the Goblet.

The main focus seemed to be on Harry though, and Pierce expected that in the least. After all, Harry was a well known name in wizarding households.

It came down to the point where Dumbledore was questioning himself believing he made a mistake. Mad Eye Moody glanced at the two boys before speaking. He claimed that perhaps someone had placed the boys under different school names in order to ensure that they would selected to compete. He believed it had to do with wanting Harry to meet a horrible fate, but no one understood why Pierce would be submitted.

Pierce looked around at the adults and students in the room. 

"Regardless if our names are entered and we were selected," Pierce began, " it's called the Triwizard tournament. Emphasis on the tri part. Tri is the combination of the Latin words trēs and tria meaning three." he held up three fingers. "With Harry and I added to the mix, it would bring the count to five. Doesn't that void the entire tournament completely?"

"Who is this boy?!" Madame Maxime said with an irritated huff looking in Pierce's direction.

"Do you not recognize the name of Holmes?" Mad Eye Moody said suddenly.

Pierce felt the professor's hand touch his shoulder making him shudder slightly. Pierce didn't like to be touched by people, let alone strangers. He stared at the hand that rested on his shoulder.

"Perhaps you are familiar with his father, the infamous Sherlock?"

All eyes were on Pierce, bringing a surge of anger to race through the boy's body. People didn't know Pierce by his own name, they only knew him from his father and if people knew, his mother.

"The Sherlock?" Igor Karkaroff repeated eyeing Pierce up and down.

Pierce moved away from Mad-Eye Moody's touch, his jaw clenched before turning to Professor Dumbledore.

"I want no part in this tournament." he informed his headmaster.

However, it wasn't up to Professor Dumbledore, the Goblet had spoken and the results would remain. The boys were to compete with the others. Crouch informed the competitors that the first task would take place on the twenty-fourth of November and they would have then to figure out what the first task would be and prepare for it. They were not to receive any outside help, but Pierce didn't believe for a second that anyone would be following the rules.

They were dismissed and Pierce was the first to leave the room in a hurry. He hurried back to the Ravenclaw tower, falling under dirty looks by his fellow housemates until he reached his dorm.

Julius was there and quickly turned to him with a worried look.

"Did you get out of it?" he asked.

"No." Pierce shook his head. "Apparently, the Goblet has spoken and that was the best excuse they could give us." 

He fell onto his bed with a heavy sigh.

"I told you." Julius said. "Didn't I? The tea leaves. The tea leaves...mass chaos! Mass chaos!"

"Julius! I don't need this right now!" Pierce snapped at him.

Julius fell silent and looked away. "Sorry."

"No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell." Pierce apologized. "I just...I don't know what I'm supposed to do."

"I'm scared for you, Pierce." Julius admitted. "I heard people can die in this thing. You're my best mate, I can't lose you. Then I'll really be alone forever."

Pierce let out a small laugh. "I'm not going anywhere, Julius. We're going to figure this out, and get through it somehow. I just...I just need you to stand by me."

"Of course I will. Screw all those idiots giving you those looks. They're just jealous."

"Well, truth of the matter is, I'm quite jealous of them right now."

Julius faced him. "So what are we going to do first?" he asked. "Search for clues?"

Pierce smirked. "Unfortunately, the first thing we have to do, I have to do alone. I need to send a letter to my parents. My father specifically."