Chương 54: chapter 54
And, before Harry could interrupt again, Dumbledore said, "I see your concern, Harry. And, I will take steps to combat against it. But, it's now too late to stop this from happening. Contracts have been signed and arrangements have been made."
"You can still skip using the cup... Goblet... and just have a standard magically binding contract," Harry muttered back.
"Sorry, no," said Dumbledore. "Tradition holds that the Goblet be used."
"It's not much of a tradition if the Tri-Wizard Tournament hasn't be held for centuries," Harry shot back, to which the Headmaster only acknowledged with a slight nod. With a sigh, he said, "Please tell me this is not going to occur on Halloween. You know what that day means to me."
"Errr... sorry," the Headmaster sheepishly replied. "The draw will take place at the conclusion of the Halloween feast."
With an admirable acting performance, Harry looked at the Headmaster with much disappointment. "First year," he said, beginning to tick them off his fingers. "Troll. Troll in the dungeon. Thought you'd want to know. I, dragging a very reluctant Ron Weasley along, manage to rescue Hermione here from said troll with only moments to spare.
"Second year. It's Nearly Headless Nick's 500th Deathday party, Missus Norris gets petrified, and it's the start of almost exactly six months and one week of being held to ridicule, fear, contempt and similar by the entire student body, while the entire teaching staff appeared to sit back and did absolutely nothing about it.
"Third year. Sirius Black, the so-called escaped mass murderer and right hand man of Voldemort, is in the castle. He attacks the portrait of Imogene - the Fat Lady; and we all have to sleep in sleeping bags in the Great Hall. Of course, I was in no danger, but we didn't know that at the time, did we?
"And now, fourth year. It's that exact, same, day you're holding the draw for the champions for the Tri-Wizard Tournament," Harry sighed in exasperation. "You know there's no way in Hell my name's not going to come out of that Goblet now, don't you?"
Dumbledore stared back with a look that was a cross between consternation and constipation before he finally cleared his throat and shook himself out of it. "Yes. Well," he muttered. "I do see your point, young Harry."
Muttering sulphurously for a few moments, Harry then sat up straighter and said, "It's now clear to me that my name will be coming out of that Goblet on Halloween. It seems I'm Lady Fate's personal punching bag and that date is the date she's set aside to personally torment me.
"I can already see what's going to happen. The event is designed for witches and wizards over the age of seventeen. Therefore, the events are designed for those witches and wizards who have that level of education. It'll even challenge their knowledge and skills. I'm fourteen with only three years of magical education. In other words, I'm toast.
"On top of that, as I'm only fourteen and the event is only open to those who are seventeen and above, when my name comes out of the Goblet, everyone's going to say I somehow cheated my way in. So, yet again, I'm going to be slandered and ridiculed. The question I have is, is the staff going to actively work at preventing it, this time around? If not, I'm out of here.
"Of course, if I do get held up for slander and ridicule again by the sheep of the wizarding world, I will have absolutely no problem with flipping the lot of you the finger, and refusing to compete. In other words, I can use it as the perfect opportunity to have my magic stripped, rather than bound. That way, no one can stop me from going back to the muggle world to live, and I can wipe my hands of the lot of you. With a muggle population in Britain approaching sixty million, it won't be hard for me to disappear into the crowds."
Harry could see his words were having a profound effect on the staff. Professor McGonagall was trying to sit stoically as she stared off into the distance, but her eyes were leaking tears. Professor Snape sat scowling with his head down and appeared quite tense. However, he remained quiet - thankfully. Professor Flitwick was still in shock and looked ready to vomit. Professor Sprout was quietly sobbing while shaking her head in apparent dismay and an attempted refusal to believe what she was hearing, as was Madam Pomfrey.
Staring straight at the Headmaster, Harry asked, "So, Headmaster, what is the plan for when my name comes out of the Goblet? Because, I really don't think anything you do is going to stop it from happening."
After clearing his throat again, Dumbledore firmly said, "I assure you, Harry, I'll be doing my best to ensure that does not happen. However, if you're correct, I don't know what I can do once it happens."
Harry shook his head in annoyance and said, "Then, I'll start." He drew his wand and held it up in his hand. "I, Harry James Potter, swear on my magic and my very life I will not submit my name to the Goblet of Fire. Nor will I ask, or in any other way actively encourage another, to submit my name to the Goblet of Fire. I do not want to compete in the Tri-Wizard Tournament. I do not want to be involved in the Tri-Wizard Tournament other than as a spectator. As I say, so I swear."
There was a quick and almost blinding flash of light as the oath was accepted. And he immediately cast a stream of sparklers.
Harry turned to the senior staff and said, "I trust that is enough for everyone here to know and understand me being in the Tri-Wizard Tournament is not something I will work towards achieving?"
Most of the staff looked horrified at what Harry had just done. It was Dumbledore who replied, "Harry, a magical oath is not something that should ever be taken lightly..."
Interrupting, Harry replied, "And what part of this entire conversation could be considered 'light', Headmaster? I understand what will happen if I decide to take the option of having my magic either stripped or bound, and my then being ostracised to the mundane world. Compared to that, a magical oath is merely a doddle."
"Nevertheless," the Headmaster sighed, "It is still a serious act to undertake. But, what is done is done. I believe I speak for all the staff when I say we do not doubt you have no wish to participate as a champion in the Tri-Wizard Tournament. However, what would you have us do if... or, as you believe, when... your name comes out of the Goblet?"
Harry frowned and appeared deep in thought. A few moments later, he looked back at the Headmaster and replied, "As soon as my name comes out, I'm going to make a very public magical oath similar to the one I just made, here, stating it wasn't me. I also demand you make damned sure none of the sheep you call students has a go at me about it. It would be collective bullying at its worse.
"Because, I'm telling you now, if the student body even thinks about denigrating, slandering, defaming, vilifying, ostracising, scorning or similar me or either of my bondmates, I will retaliate with physical force. I will not stand for it. Not for even one jot of a moment. I will not tolerate another second year."
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