An enemy and four champion
Reborn had a bad feeling something was about to go wrong. The morrow would be when the Champions would be chosen by the so called ‘Goblet of Fire’. Reborn slid out of bed, and Skull stirred.
”Mm? Renato...?”
”Shh,” Reborn murmured, stroking Skull’s hair. “Go back to sleep.”
”Mmkay...”
Skull’s eyes slid close and Reborn made his way out of their shared room. He didn’t bother putting on anything presentable and padded down silently to the classroom and- he ducked back, his eyes narrowing.
A man was already there, looking around suspiciously. Then the man left the classroom and Reborn waited for a few seconds before following him. Sticking to the shadows, Reborn was practically invisible as he followed the stranger to... to the Goblet of Fire. He raised an eyebrow. Oh?
He was so concentrated on the man, he almost didn’t notice Leon at his foot. Reborn hissed quietly when he almost stepped on his friend, and allowed the small reptile to climb up to his shoulder. The two peered through the crack in the door and saw the man waving around his stick- wand. Waving around his wand and muttering something under his breath.
Then he stepped through the age line and put in a slip of paper. Reborn gestured at Leon to transform, and then stepped through the door.
”Well, what do we have here?” he asked in faux amusement. The man whipped around, his wand raised, and Reborn ran forward.
Before the man could even think, Reborn had him pinned to the floor, wand kicked away and arm twisted behind his back. The man gave a screech of pain, and Reborn clicked his tongue. “Now, now, let’s be quiet, en? You wouldn’t want to get caught, would you? Though, that’s already happened.”
”Let go of me, you filthy muggle!” the man hissed; Reborn ignored him.
”What to do with you?” Reborn mused. “Take you to the old man? Or should I let you go for the sake of chaos...? Or maybe I should just kill you.”
The man gave an angered growl, and Reborn sighed. “Alright then. Who sent you? How did you get in?”
”Like I’d tell you anything!”
”Hm, thought not. Fine, let’s do it like this. How about this, I let you go do whatever, and then I catch your boss when he comes along. Yes? I like that plan.”
Reborn got off of the man,who leapt to his feet and lunged got his wand. Reborn kicked it away again. He sighed. “Really, you people really do rely too much on your magic.”
Then he kicked the wizard in the guts, and the man doubled over, wheezing for breath. Reborn began to walk away. He stopped at the door and nodded and at the wheezing man on the floor.
”Just remember,” he said. “You are not the one playing the game. Goodnight.”
The choosing of the champions...
Reborn and Skull watched silently as there was an uproar when Harry’s name was called from the Goblet. They watched as Harry got up reluctantly and made his way to the Champion’s Room. Then the couple got up in sync and moved towards the room as well. No one noticed them in the arguments ensuing.
The four Champions looked up as Skull and Reborn entered. Harry stood up in a panic.
”Professor! I swear, I swear I didn’t put my name in the Goblet!” he said.
Skull nodded and said, “I know.”
”I really- wait, you believe me?” Harry asked, and Skull shrugged.
”Do I have a reason not to? Besides, Renato saw something yesterday. We’re not stupid.”
Then the doors slammed open and the Headmasters of the three schools came striding in along with McGonagall, Bagman, Crouch, Snape and Moody. Skull nodded at Snape.
”It seems your instinct was correct,” he said. “Something is going wrong.”
Snape’s lips curled up into a sneer, and he looked away. Skull sighed. Still the same as always, then.
”Dumbly-dorr! I demand an explanation!” Madame Maxine hissed. “What is this! ‘Ogwarts ‘aving two Champions!? I think not!”
”Indeed, Madame Maxine,” Karkaroff agreed. “I couldn’t have said it any better!”
Dumbledore ignored them for a moment and looked at Harry, his normally twinkling eyes serious.
”Harry,” he said calmly. “Did you put your name in he Goblet of Fire?”
Harry shook his head.
”And why should we believe you? What’s to make us believe this wasn’t planned from the start?” Karkaroff snapped.
”He didn’t do it,” Skull said calmly, far more calmly than Reborn had ever seen him. “Last night, Renato saw someone, a stranger who wasn’t of any of the three schools, mess with the line and put in a slip of paper.”
”Zen what waz ‘e doing outside last night?” Madame Maxine boomed.
”Well,” Reborn drawled. “Skull fell asleep after some games we played, and I needed a walk. Or shoot something. I walked around and saw someone entering the room where the Goblet was held.”
”...games?” Snape asked. Everyone looked at the pair with shock and red faces, and Skull slowly turned red as well.
”Oh my God!” he snapped. “Card games, card games! Renato! This is your fault!”
Reborn shrugged, and nodded at Dumbledore.
”For a supposedly high-security school, a lot of people manage to get in, don’t they?” he asked. Dumbledore opened his mouth when Karkaroff interrupted loudly.
”The boy is most definitely lying!” he said shrilly, and Reborn sighed.
”No, the boy isn’t lying,” he said coldly. “I’m known for being quite the... ‘mind reader’ back where I come from. I know when people lie.”
”But of ‘e is lying!” Madame Maxine cried.
”He couldn’t have crossed the age line,” McGonagall said in irritation. “Besides, Reborn has already told us he saw someone last night-”
”Dumbly-Dort must ‘ave made a mistake wiz ze line,” Madame Maxine hissed. “And to take this person’s word for truth is unwise!”
”Mr. Crouch, Mr. Bagman, surely you see the injustice of this?” Karkaroff asked.
”...the Goblet had chosen, we must abide the rules,” Crouch said. “Those who have their names pulled out of the Goblet are bound magically to compete in the tournament.”
”I protest! We must have a redo! I demand a redo!” Karkaroff cried.
”It doesn’t work that way,” said Bagman. “The Goblet has just gone out, it won’t reignite until the start of the next tournament.”
“I have half a mind to leave right now!” Karkaroff blew up. “With all our negotiations, meetings, and compromises- I little expected for something like this to happen!”
”Empty words,” Moody growled out, and all eyes turned to him. “You can’t leave your Champion now, he’s got to compete, magical binding contract and all. Convenient, eh?”
”Convenient?” Karkaroff asked, “I’m afraid I don’t quite understand you, Moody.”
”I think it’s rather obvious what he’s implying,” Reborn said; all amusement gone now. “It’s very simple, and quite ingenious- if they hadn’t been caught. Someone put the brat’s name in the Goblet knowing he’d have to compete if his name came out.”
”Evidently someone ‘oo wished to give ‘Ogwarts two bites at ze apple!” Madame Maxine cried in obvious outrage.
”Simple minded, the lot of you,” Reborn sighed, and Skull shook his head at him. “Fine. I’ll get to the point. There’s been a high death toll in these games, correct?”
”Correct,” Karkaroff said.
”So, what Professor Moody seems to be implying is that someone is hoping the brat will die for it,” Reborn said carelessly. There was silence.
Then Bagman said, “Moody, old man... what a thing to think!”
Karkaroff scoffed, saying, “We all know Professor Moody considers the morning wasted if he hasn’t discovered six plots to murder him before lunchtime. Apparently, he is now teaching his students to fear assassination too. An odd quality in a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher’s, Dumbledore, but no doubt you had your reasons.”
”Imagining things, am I?” Moody growled. “And you’ve put Reborn’s words out of your mind completely? About the intruder in the castle? It was a bloody good wizard who put Potter’s name in the Goblet.”
(Apparently, all the Champions had been temporarily forgotten and we’re now being talked about like they weren’t even in the room, Skull thought in amusement).
”-hoodwinked a very powerful object!” Moody said, and Skull snapped back to attention. “It would been a very strong Confundus Charm to bamboozle the Goblet into forgetting that only three schools would be competing. I’m guessing they submitted Potter under a fourth school, to make sure he was the only one in the category...”
”You seem to have given this a great deal of thought,” Karkaroff said hotly and Skull turned out for a moment, studying Reborn.
The Hitman was studying the occupants of the room silently. There was a slight frown on his face as he glanced over Moody. Skull frowned too, looking at the DADA teacher. Reborn was holding something back. But... Skull trusted the Hitman with his life. If Reborn had a reason not to say anything, then Skull would follow his lead.
As he was pondering this, it seemed the matter had been solved and everyone had started to depart. Skull hastily followed Reborn out too.
Later...
Skull slid beneath the sheets and turned over to face Reborn.
”Ne, Ren, what’s wrong?” he asked.
”He’s suspicious,” Reborn answered. “Somethings not right about him.”
”...ok. Hey, did you manage to get a feel of the wizard’s Flames?”
”No. It was like something was blocking me off from it. But... it was also like the man didn’t have a Flame.”
”But... that’s impossible, right?”
”It should be.”
The two lapsed into silence, and then Reborn sighed. “Go to sleep, Bellissimo.”
”Kay. Night, Ren.”
”...goodnight.”