A Year at Hogwarts

chapter 11

The two reappeared outside the maze. A few minutes later, Cedric Diggory appeared with Cho Chang and not long after that, Fleur appeared with her sister. Only Krum was nowhere to be found. Mr. Crouch spoke to the other teachers who went looking for him. He then turned to face everyone. "The winner of this task is Mr. Potter!" he shouted. There were cheers from Harry's support group. He then turned to the champions. "Take the eyes from your hostages," he said. The champions did so, "The Portkeys that you recovered are used with the eyes in order to give you a clue for the final task, which is being held in June. More details will be given to you nearer the time." Harry stepped forward. "I want to know why there were Death Eaters in the maze for me to face." He said. "Mr. Potter," Dumbledore said, "There were no Death Eaters in the maze. We never got anyone to dress up as them." "Go into the maze and you'll find them stunned and body bound with broken wands. They wanted to take me in order to serve their master." Harry replied. Then to add to Dumbledore's worries, two teachers came out of the maze with a badly injured Krum. "We just had to save him from some creature bred by Hagrid and an Acromantula." Flitwick said. Krum was taken straight to the hospital wing. "Where in the task description did it say Death Eaters would be part of the task?" Ambassador Ramsey asked. "Nowhere, that's where." Madam Maxime replied.

"You are showing a surprising lack of security here Dumbledore," Ramsey said, "and there is overwhelming evidence that they were helped into the maze by a member of Hogwarts staff. How else could they have gotten into the maze if not with help? I reckon someone provided them with Portkey co-ordinates, that's how they slipped past the Australian Aurors." "My champion has been seriously injured by creatures bred by your gamekeeper, which if I know the law correctly is illegal," Karakoff said, "If Viktor's Quidditch career is over because of this, rest assured a big deal will be made about it."

Fudge was meeting with Dumbledore and the other school Heads in addition to Ambassador Ramsey the next day over the Death Eaters in the maze. "No, I will not cancel the tournament!" he was heard to shout, "I will not be seen to be a coward just because some people want to play dress up! I've already ordered their release." There was outrage at this news. "They told my investigators that they were under the Imperius curse. Naturally, I ordered their release straight away." Fudge said. "Do you even investigate claims of people being under the Imperius curse?" Madam Maxime asked. "Why should I? They're respected purebloods and I will not tolerate anyone questioning such fine people." "I want their names Fudge," Ambassador Ramsey said, "and my Aurors will be questioning them." "NO!" Fudge shouted. "Your precious Purebloods attempted to abduct an Australian citizen, a minor no less," Ramsey said, "in my country, that is treated very seriously, no matter what their blood status is. Another thing, when did the Minister of Magic have the authority to release suspects without investigation?" Fudge didn't say anything. "If you insist on doing nothing about it Fudge," Daniels said, "We will begin our own investigations and bring in our own security." "You already have your Aurors here to protect Mr. Potter," Fudge said, "You can't bring in anymore. I won't allow it!" "If she can't," Madam Maxime said, "I will. Hogwarts staff and students have already been behaving like reckless hooligans. I will not stand by and allow terrorists to gate-crash this tournament and harm our students. As the representative of Beauxbatons, I can and will have our participation in this tournament forfeit and I will make sure the press find out about it." "I've got a good mind to forfeit the tournament right now!" Karkaoff said, "Because of your gamekeeper's illegal cross-breeding and your insistence on having Acromantula for the task, insisting it would be safe, my champion is now injured and his career is now in danger. It seems strange that other schools' champions are being injured or ambushed." "How about a compromise," Fudge suggested, "We allow a neutral country perform an investigation into these events? That way there will be no bias." Everyone agreed that that would be acceptable. After everyone left Dumbledore's office, Ramsey and Daniels took Madam Maxime and Karkaoff aside. "We'll get our Aurors to investigate this. Knowing Fudge and Dumbledore, they won't get anyone in." She said and the other two headteachers agreed. She was proved right - Fudge kept blocking an investigation.