Chapter 7 - 7 Halloween Mayhem

The end of October had come and Harry had somewhat settled into his routine. He did his best not to stand out for more than just being Harry Potter and since his two acquaintances were both doing amazing, he was able to hide in their shadows and make it look like his own above average abilities were due to their ȧssociation. Neither was happy with that but after Harry begged them on his knees not to let anyone know he was the smart one, they agreed not to tell others.

So far there had only been one incident which threw off Harry's image of a 'just above average student with help,' and that was their first Flying Class. Harry got the worse broom and once Harry mounted the thing, it shot up into the air and broke in half leaving Harry to fall thirty feet from the sky. This wasn't the problem, the problem was that Harry did a shoulder roll on landing and got up without a single visible or measurable injury. If it was another student it would be talked about for a week and forgotten, but as Harry Potter, it was something that simply added to his immortalized legend.

Today was the day that the student delegations of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang would arrive at Hogwarts. It was a Saturday and although most would rather be playing indoors or in some cases, *cough* Hermione *cough*, doing their homework or studying, every student was made to stand out in the frigid cold and wait until the other schools showed up to show school wide unity.

"Weasley, straighten your hat, Ms. Patil, take that ridiculous thing out of your hair," cried McGonagall as she went row by row to confirm the uniformity of the students.

Once ready, she said, "Follow me please, first years out in front," and lead everyone to the Black Lake.

After waiting for a while, Dumbledore said aloud that Beauxbatons had arrived and pointed up. Harry saw what appeared to be a dozen elephant sized winged horses pulling an enormous carriage.

A few of the students unconsciously backed up when the carriage descended for a landing and the whole group felt the impact of the hoofbeats of the creature's landing.

A moment after the carriage came to a halt, a young man came out and opened a set of golden stairs. Dumbledore approached and met the woman who came out and exchanged pleasantries. What surprised most was that she was even taller than Hagrid.

A series of young women in powder blue robes left the carriage with an attempted show of grace that was difficult to pull off successfully with each and every one of them shivering to the bone. Dumbledore had a teacher escort the lot into the castle before they all froze solid and everyone else continued to wait for Durmstrang to show up.

Not wanting to be shown up it seemed, the Durmstrang delegation showed up in a giant ship which ascended from beneath the surface of the Black Lake leaving everyone to wonder how it got there in the first place.

The students of Durmstrang and their headmaster who looked like a stereotypical evil warlock all wore furs and looked far less fragile than their Beauxbatons counterparts. Harry heard the redhead standing a few places down from him, "Hey, that's Krum!"

According to a magazine in Harry's inventory, Victor Krum was a student of Durmstrang yet a professional Quidditch player, one of the best in the world even. He would be in his seventh year and his skill was expected to lead his team to the world cup once he graduated. Shame his team had no one else to rely on.

With their arrival the whole group returned to the castle into the warmth of the great hall. The Durmstrang students chose to sit at the Slytherin table while the Beauxbatons chose to sit with the Ravenclaws.

The headmaster introduced his fellow headmasters and told everyone the choosing of the champions would begin after the feast.

The food that appeared had a larger variety than normal which some of the cookbooks in Harry's inventory named as french dishes. Harry himself was watching the new students and checking out their exotic energy. Although there was no level floating above each person's head, the size and brightness of the exotic energy mass within each gave Harry an idea for their Magic stats and Magic Path Rank.

From Beauxbatons, the strongest contender seemed to be a blond young woman whose magic seemed more a part of her than normal. This was something he usually only saw in magical creatures. The strongest from Durmstrang was unsurprisingly Victor Krum, and not by a small margin either. Though if that meant he was good or everyone else from his school was bad, Harry did not know. There were a few possible contenders for Hogwarts but the strongest sat at the Hufflepuff table. Harry would say he was level 50 with a Magic Path Rank of 9.

Harry's own stats after two months of school were as follows.

[Harry Potter

Level 77 Age 11

STR 68 AGI 122

LUK 10

Warrior Path rank 8

Scholar Path rank 11

Magic Path rank 15

Tech Path 7]

Harry meditated daily to level up at least once a day and extra on weekends while practicing combat both magical and non-magical against the monsters he faced. Teaching Neville and Hermione while studying himself got his Scholar path up an impressive amount and last month Harry finally came up with a rune scheme that protected electronics from exotic energy. It basically used an ordered set of exotic energy and froze it in place around the electronics, forming something of a shield. The frozen shield wouldn't enter the fragile parts and would stop additional exotic energy up to a certain strength from entering. It wouldn't survive anything stronger than a weak spell but would at least not get fried just from ambient energy.

Once that was done, Harry added to his routine more time to study computers and electronics. At a few points Harry had to sneak out of Hogwarts to apparate to London and buy some more electronics but he hadn't been caught so far which was a win for him and let him advance his Tech path as well.

Harry waited until the feast was over to see how the tournament participants would be selected so he could ponder on how he would be entered.

Two men entered the Great Hall and Dumbledore said, "Let me introduce, for those who do not know them, Mr. Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, and Mr. Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports. They will be joining myself along with Professor Karkaroff and Madame Maxime as the judges for the tournament."

Dumbledore gave a few more foreboding warnings before tapping the ċhėst three times and opened it to reveal a rather large silver cup. He explained that it was called the Goblet of Fire and would be the impartial judge. He would take it to the entrance hall and draw an age line around it that would prevent any under the age of seventeen from approaching it. Once there, he would light it and any who felt themselves up to the challenge would have to write their name on a piece of paper and place it in the goblet. The next day, the goblet would choose three names, one of each school to be contenders for the Triwizard Cup.

Once the feast was over, Harry, Hermione, Neville and the still as of yet to be named redhead went to the dorm. The redhead asked, "Harry, are you going to enter your name in it?"

Harry shrugged, "Nope, doubt it matters. The Goblet will likely spit out my name regardless."

Neville said, "Oh yeah, didn't you bet Hermione you'd be entered to compete against your will?"

Hermione said, "There is no way you're going to complete."

"What if Snape or some seventh year enters my name?"

Hermione said, "Even if they did, there is no way the goblet would choose a first year when seventh years.." Her complaint about Harry's lack of skill compared to a seventh year died down when she realized she had no actual idea where Harry's skill level was at. Anyone else and there was no second thought about it. Harry Potter on the other hand.

The redhead spoke up, "Do you guys hear that?"

Harry didn't hear anything so he paused and turned the background sound up on the menu. Once he unpaused, the sound of massive footsteps echoed from around the corner down the hall.

A large green monster with a stupid looking face and a massive wooden club turned the corner and locked eyes with the four students. Yup, it was a troll.

Harry hadn't fought a troll before but his racing heartbeat was quickly quelled by the passive mental ability of his Gamer power.

The others were not so lucky. The redhead started muttering in circles, Hermione was hyperventilating, and Neville was frozen solid.

Harry paused the world and walked over to the troll to examine him. The reach of his club would prevent anyone from running past him and Harry really didn't feel like dying today. Harry returned back to the end of the hall where the stairs had left him and came up with an idea. Harry confirmed the distance and measured it a few times before going over the plan a few more times to be sure. One he was ready, he unpaused and was returned back to his original position.

Harry grabbed Neville and the redhead by the robes and said, "Hermione, follow me now, no questions," and dragged them both back to where the stairs were. Hermione was the type to overthink rather than freeze so she easily adjusted and followed Harry back.

The hallway met the stairs at a balcony with a rail that extended further left and right than the hallway, out of sight of the troll. Harry shoved Neville and the redhead into one side and pointed to the other side and told Hermione, "Stay there, don't move, I have a plan, it will work, don't move."

Hermione tucked herself into the corner and Harry returned to the hallway where the long strides of the Troll had it almost to their position. Harry stood before the troll who swung its club and Harry paused again to go back and confirm that Hermione wasn't peaking.

Luckily she was still crouched down in the corner and Neville had passed out and the redhead seemed to have his eyes shut.

Harry unpaused and ducked under the swing before he slipped under the troll's legs. He then cast a Slippery Jinx on the troll's skin which caused the ungraceful monster's legs to slip out from its own weight. Lastly, Harry used an overpowered knockback jinx to send the troll down what might as well have been a frictionless hall due to the slippery jinx where the troll sailed off the stairless deck and down the tower four full flights before landing on the bottom.

Harry walked over to the edge and peered down at the fallen monster. The creature's exotic energy was circulating around its body meaning it wasn't dead, but likely wouldn't get up soon.

When Harry went back over to Hermione she reached out and hugged him.

The redhead seemed to have seen the troll fly off the balcony and said, "Blimey Harry, what did you do?"

Harry shrugged and said, "Slippery jinx and knockback jinx. Made the troll slip and knocked him back. Gravity took care of the rest."

Hermione said, "Harry, that was brilliant!"

He argued back, "Lucky is more like it. Had we been trapped on the first floor, that wouldn't have gone so well."

Neville got up and said, "What happened?"

Hermione looked hesitant to answer before the redhead said, "Harry defeated the troll!"

Neville's eyes shot up and he exclaimed, "What? That was real? Where is it?"

The redhead pointed down the tower where several students and a teacher had now approached the troll which still wasn't moving.

Hermione said, "We should get a teacher."

Harry sighed in defeat but didn't argue. Ten minutes later Harry had told everyone what had happened several times. The knockback jinx wouldn't be taught for a few more months but was still considered a first year spell while the slippery jinx wasn't taught at all but was around the level of a first year spell.

That being said, the slippery jinx was normally something that targeted the hand which caused the target's wand to slip from their grip. Casting in a way where the friction of the entire surface of a troll was removed was far beyond the norm. And the knockback jinx was little more than a very hard push and was less effective the heavier something was. The weight of a fully grown mountain troll should have bȧrėly budged with such a spell, frictionless surface or not.

Luckily for Harry, Snape was there and more than happy to downplay Harry's achievements as luck which Harry had no complaints about.

Still, before the next morning there was not a single person within the castle who did not know of Harry's single handed defeat of the troll.

Breakfast time included rumors being passed back and forth about who entered their names in the goblet and tales of Harry's Epic Battle with the troll where he punched it through a wall and sent it flying to the other side of the castle. Harry himself found each retelling more outlandish than the last. What was the point of using first year spells if people weren't going to bother recalling the details? Should he use fiendfyre next time?

Harry went around the Entrance Hall so he wouldn't be seen in the same room as the Goblet. Some part of him figured if he actually entered his name, the Goblet would probably select him as Hogwarts champion. But what if the quest was like a self fulfilling prophecy where if he didn't hear it, he wouldn't have entered himself thinking he was already destined for it and wouldn't have had to complete?!

Slightly crazy perhaps, but he still wanted to avoid purposefully entering himself so he could see how his name would come out anyways.

This year, Halloween was on a Sunday, and while some students had plans that revolved around sitting in front of a cup all day, Harry actually intended on being productive. Along with Hermione, Harry spent the next several hours in the library. He would look for an interesting book, place it in his inventory and pause, and take as long to go over it as he wanted. The fun part was that he could even look through the restricted section. Each of those books had a spell where should the book be opened by someone without a special permission slip, the book would literally start screaming. However since books needed to be moved every once in a while, simply taking them off the shelf didn't do anything as long as they were off the shelf too long.

This system certainly never took into account an ability to read a book without opening the cover in less than a second.

Harry couldn't go to the restricted section often or he'd get caught, but when no one was around he'd walk over to it, remove a book, place it in his inventory, pause, go over it completely, then unpause, remove it and set it back. With practice the book was only off the shelf for two seconds.

Thanks to his Scholar Path reaching rank 11, Harry could read and cross reference material far more thoroughly than he used to be able to. Harry figured he'd have all the unique and important books memorized by February.

Once the time for the Halloween feast got close, Harry and Hermione both returned to the Great Hall to watch the selection for the tournament.

Hermione saw that Harry was eating with the zen like acceptance of a death row convict having his last meal and said, "Harry, you are not going to be chosen alright?"

Harry spoke up, "Oh ye of little faith. I thought after yesterday you would stop doubting my talent as a trouble magnet. Just because I'm a first year and I didn't go anywhere near the goblet doesn't mean my name won't come out."

Neither Harry or Hermione were whispering and Harry heard a few Gryffindors seem to whisper back to back and what seemed to be bets being made.

The redhead said, "My brothers tried getting past the age line with an aging potion but it shot them back and they both grew a beard."

Harry said, "One of them should keep it so we can tell them apart."

The redhead responded, "Naw, even if they did, they'd probably figure out how to switch the beard just to make everyone mistake one for the other."

Harry could see the twins doing that.

The Goblet had been moved to a stand in front of the headmaster's table and the students of both visiting schools entered the hall and waited to the side.

Once the feast ended, Dumbledore stood up and said, "Well, the goblet is almost ready to make its decision. I estimate that it requires one more minute. Now, when the champions' names are called, I would ask them to please come up to the top of the Hall, walk along the staff table, and go through into the next chamber where they will be receiving their first instructions."

The headmaster waved his wand around which lowered the brightness of the candles. The Goblet of Fire was the brightest flame in the hall.

After a moment, the flame spit out a paper which Dumbledore caught and named the Durmstrang champion as Victor Krum, to no one's surprise. The next paper that shot out named the Beauxbatons champion Fleur Delacour, the young blond Harry noticed earlier.

When the last paper shot out, a collective breath was held by the entire hall.

"The Hogwarts champion, is Cedric Diggory!"

While the entire hall turned to uproar, Hermione turned to Harry and gave a silent, knowing, and slightly smug smile. Harry noticed several of the Gryffindors glance at Harry with a bit of an edge. There had in fact been bets placed on him.

Harry however noticed the fire hadn't gone out yet. He turned to face Hermione and waggled a finger back and forth signifying, 'not yet.'

Dumbledore had already started his speech about giving the three champions support and his honest hopes for the tournament. He never got to finish his speech as the Goblet of Fire roared to life once more and spat out a fourth slip of paper before finally going out.. Hermione immediately turned to face Harry who gave her an 'I told you so' smile.

Harry himself felt the exotic energy of the cup attach itself to him in the same moment.

*Ping*

[Goblet of Fire Contract Perk Acquired

-Conditions, must compete in the three tasks of the tournament

-Failure to complete conditions will change Goblet of Fire Contract Perk into Broken Contract Perk.

-Goblet of Fire Contract Perk grants legal ȧduŀthood.]

Harry was surprised that the contract actually connected to him and was more surprised that he was now considered a legal ȧduŀt. That was something he could use.

After a long pause of looking at the singed parchment, Dumbledore called out, "Harry Potter."

Harry innocently asked aloud, "Yes Headmaster?"

Dumbledore took a moment to collect himself before adding, "Harry Potter, come up here if you please."

Harry stood up and said, "Um sir, if this is your idea of a joke, I think I would prefer the one about a troll, a hag, and a leprechaun who all go into a bar."

A few nervous chuckles broke the silence.

The headmaster gave a weak smile before continuing, "I'm afraid this is not a joke Mr. Potter, your name has come out of the Goblet of Fire. Please head to the room with your fellow Champions."

Harry let his head down in defeat and made his way up the hall.. He announced aloud, "For my next funeral, I like white lilies," before joining his fellow champions in the other room.