Magical Contracts

A collective gasp cut Dumbledore short as the Goblet of Fire had, once more, turned red. Mad-Eye Moody's eye rotated as a fourth shred of parchment fluttered for a moment above it. Dumbledore simply let it float, regarding it suspiciously before he took it. He looked up. "Harry Potter."

There was a moment of suspended silence before all eyes turned toward Harry. Harry ignored the stares as he tried to process what happened. "Go on, Harry." Granger almost pushed him off of his spot on the bench.

Harry rose stiffly and began to walk slowly toward the Head Table and Dumbledore. Dumbledore is not smiling and Harry can feel his as well as everyone's eyes on him. Dumbledore pointed to the door on the right side of the Head Table and Harry entered the Trophy Room where the other contestants had gone.

TROPHY ROOM

Harry entered the room and stopped as everyone stared at him. "Do they want us back in the Hall?" Fleur looked at her headmistress.

Harry turned and found Viktor Krum, Cedric Diggory, and Fleur Delacour standing before a roaring fire. Before Harry can move, the door behind him crashed open and Dumbledore swept in. Harry wanted to roll his eyes, the man loved his entrances. Snape was behind him. Just great, what Harry didn't need.

"What is the meaning of this, Dumbledore?" Madame Maxime's loud voice slammed into Harry's head.

Dumbledore ignored her as he grabbed Harry by the shoulders. "Did you put your name into the Goblet of Fire?"

"No, sir." Harry wanted a quiet year and he was going to get it. There was no way he was remaining in this contest if he could help it.

"Did you ask an older student to put your name in it?"

Harry wondered if the man was on drugs. "No sir."

"Ah, but of course 'e is lying!" Madame Maxime declared. Harry wished she would adjust her volume. This wasn't a big room.

"The hell he is. The Goblet of Fire is an exceptionally powerful object. One an exceptionally powerful Confundus Charm could have hoodwinked it." Mad-Eye appeared out of nowhere it seemed to most. "Magic beyond the talents of any fourth year."

Harry was aware the old Auror was in the room and he was a bit insulted by the belief that he wasn't powerful enough. He was but that didn't mean he bragged or showed off as Granger did, nor did he start fights as Weasley did to prove he was a wizard. He learned a long time ago, to keep as much as possible hidden, make everything look harder than it was to do, and you didn't get a beating nor did you get unwanted attention.

"You seem to have given this a fair bit of thought, Moody." Karkaroff looked a the former Auror with a look of distaste.

Harry wondered what was it with wizards and having pissing contests all the time. This was just another one of them. Harry wanted to roll his eyes but he was aware that Snape was watching him. Snape was always watching him. It was a bit eerie how the man seemed to appear out of nowhere at times to protect him but he was always glad he did despite whatever complaints Weasley had.

"It was once my job to think the way dark wizards do, Karkaroff. Perhaps you remember-"

Harry thought ~Cue Dumbledore.~

"Barty, I leave this to you."

Harry wasn't surprised by Dumbledore passing the decision over to someone else. After all, he wouldn't want Harry to believe he was controlling everything in Harry's life. Dumbledore truly believed the reports Granger and Weasley supplied.

Blankly Barty Crouch Sr. stood up. He was by the three in front of the fire. When it stood it created an eerie staring half-shadow that filled the room. Harry wasn't surprised by the blank look. Most of the Ministry higher-ups wore the same look. He wondered if the Ministry worked as a hive? He would need to research it. "The rules are absolute. The Goblet of Fire constitutes a binding magical contract. Mr. Potter has no choice. He is, as of tonight, a Triwizard Champion."

Harry decided he had to end this before some stupid stunt by Dumbledore did kill him. "I want to see this contract. I also want a lawyer here to review it, I didn't enter it and the contract should be between whoever entered my name." Harry could feel the intense stares of everyone in the room.

"You want to see the contract?" Crouch Sr., looked puzzled and then turned to Dumbledore.

Dumbledore wasn't sure what just happened. He wasn't expecting the boy to resist. "You want a lawyer to review the contract?"

"Yes, I want to see this written contract." Harry was glad he listened to the years of his uncle's rants about contracts, waiting for a lawyer to review them before signing them, so he could sell drill bits.

"He does have the right." Snape stepped away from the eerie-looking shadow that Crouch was still casting by his lack of moving away from the fire.

"Does Gringott have a lawyer I could hire, sir?" Harry figured if anyone would answer him honestly, it would be Snape.

"Yes, they do."

"I am sure that isn't necessary. It is a magically binding contract as Barty explained and he is here as a representative of the Ministry."

Harry wanted to roll his eyes. "I want to see this contract and have a lawyer review it for me. I also want the Goblet checked for tampering as I didn't enter my name into it and I am sure Gringotts would have someone who could do it. Bill explained about-"

"Mr. Potter, are you accusing the Ministry of foul play?"

"I do not remember accusing anyone. I am sure we could have someone review the memories of those present to confirm I haven't accused or hinted at anyone being responsible." Harry was tired of playing stupid. If he had to do it to get out of another one of Dumbledore's hair-brained plots he might as well do it correctly. He ignored the intense stare from Snape.

"The boy is correct. He is entitled to seeing and being able to review the contract as well as having the Goblet checked." Karkaroff ignored the heated glare from Dumbledore. This contest just got a lot more interesting.

"Yes, he is." Madame Maxime wanted the boy out of the contest and she wasn't above using the means he provided to do so.

"I will see about hiring one." Dumbledore was already thinking of his old friend Elphias Doge.

"No, thank you, sir. I will write to Gringotts. We wouldn't want anyone to claim bias." Harry smiled at Dumbledore. Dumbledore had enough people in his pocket he was sure the old fool would get someone to just agree with Dumbledore and not read a contract or a review of the Goblet. He was also going to write to Lucius Malfoy. Draco bragged enough about the man and his power. Malfoy would love to get one over on Dumbledore.

Three days later:

Lucius Malfoy had Harry Potter on his right as well as three goblins. Dumbledore had tried to hire Elphias Doge to be Harry's lawyer but Harry had refused to allow the man to represent him. Harry had written Lucius and figured Lucius would be able to represent the Ministry. Two of the three goblins were curse breakers and the third was Harry's lawyer. The three headmasters were to the left of Lucius. Barty was standing on Lucius' right but slightly behind the group. Snape was standing between Barty and Dumbledore. Mad-Eye Moody was on behind Harry with the three other contestants.

The two curse breakers had run some scans of the Goblet. "This will be done in two parts. The magical contract will issue from the Goblet first. After it is done we will continue with the second part. The Goblet will show the connections to the contract while it issues forth who entered the contest. The contract will be available for review as soon as we finish our job." The oldest of the goblin curse breakers nodded at his counterpart.

Harry watched the two curse breakers work. The magical contract didn't come from the top of the Goblet as the names did. It spilled out from the base of the Goblet and it didn't appear to take too long but it was a bit thick. The next part began and everyone watched as beams of light came out of the Goblet and connected first to the three students who did enter it and their headmasters. Harry didn't have any connection but he turned as the beam connected to the person standing slightly behind him. Four slips of paper spilled out. Snape had his wand out as did everyone else and it was pointed at Mad-Eye.

The lawyer picked the slips of paper up.

Viktor Klum, Durmstrang, Headmaster Igor Karkaroff
Fleur Delacour, Beauxbatons, Headmistress Olympe Maxime
Cedric Diggory, Hogwarts, Headmaster Albus Dumbledore
Bartemius Crouch, Jr., Gaunt, Headmaster Tom Marvolo Riddle

Mad-Eye started to laugh as he started to back up. "My Lord he will retu-" Snape stunned him as the rest didn't move.

Harry looked at Snape. Snape arched a brow as Harry looked as if to say, can you believe we have to deal with these morons? "Perhaps it might be wise to summon the Aurors?" Harry suggested. "Professor Snape has him stunned for a reason."

It seemed to do the trick as Crouch Sr., started to mumble about his son. Harry took the slip of paper from his lawyer with Barty's name on it. "I do not believe I am required to review the contract since my client wasn't entered. Have a good day." The three goblins left as the Aurors were arriving.

The first test:

Harry was sitting between Neville and Dean. His three former friends were four rows behind him. Draco and some Slytherins were directly behind him. "Dragons? I would have been dragon chow."

Draco leaned a bit forward. "Watch your back. Weasley and Granger have been glaring at you and Weasley was caught by McGonagall with his wand out in your direction earlier."

"I bet he didn't earn a detention." Neville didn't turn around and look at the trio of idiots.

"No, he just got warned about no fighting in the halls." Pansy and the rest of the Slytherins were impressed by the fact that Harry had managed to get Lucius and the goblins to get him out of the tournament.

"They are still mad because I dared to go against what dear old Dumbles said. After Barty was Kissed, they started to scream at me for getting involved with Lucius Malfoy. They make it sound like I was having an affair with the man."

"Eww." Draco wrinkled his nose. "Not an image I needed in my head."

"Neither did we but we have been dealing with it for the past two weeks." Neville moved over when Luna joined them.

"Harry, you need to watch your food." Luna's dreamy voice floated to him. "The Nargles aren't happy you aren't listening to them. The Nargles won't like losing their money or fame by association."

"Money?" Harry was puzzled as he looked at Neville.

"Potter, what do know about your parents? You are an heir and should-"

"What? Heir?" Harry was going to curse Dumbledore.

"Harry, you are aware your parents were my godparents and members of the Sacred 28?" Neville looked at Harry. "Draco is your, I think third cousin?"

"Yes, my mother was his grandmother's niece." Harry blinked as he processed this new information. It did explain why he was never allowed to go to Gringotts and why any time he had expressed an interest in learning about his parents, Weasley or Granger would find something else to research or do. "I think we broke him."

Luna giggled. "He is realizing the Nargles have hidden more information. He will show them the true power of the Chosen One when it is the right time. He has much to do first."

"She is scary." Dean looked at the blond.

Luna smiled. Harry watched as the contest started. He waited until he was sure everyone was distracted before tapping Draco on the leg. Draco leaned down. "I need to speak to your father. Could you send a letter to him and see if we can arrange to meet during a Hogsmeade weekend?"

"I was already planning on it. You should speak to Uncle Severus." Harry raised a brow. "Trust me on this." Harry nodded.