63 Awakening the beas

As the light in the hall dims, all wait, breathless for the cup to reveal chosen ones. With few instants, the calm blue flame change for angry one, wildly swaying before an ember was propelled out of it. Raising his hand, the old wizard fetches it before reading it a high voice.

"The champion of Durmstrang, Victor krum!"

The announcement was immediately followed with the loud cheers of the Slytherin table as the Bulgarian seeker raise and made his way to the head table, was patted on the shoulder by his Headmaster before entering the antechamber, waiting for the two others.

Before the fever settle, the fire release another burned parchment.

"The champion of Beauxbatons, Fleur Delacour!"

Contrary to the cheer of the previous champion, the girl made her way to the table with a haughty air, under the few sobs of her fellow classmates who weren't chosen. Not leaving the awkward moment last any longer, the third parchment delivered to the Headmaster.

"The champion of Hogwarts, Cedric Diggory!"

The Puffs as their habits, all cheer warmly as one of them was chosen, the vamp... The boy confidently made his way to the table, a little knowing and satisfied smile on his face.

"Yes, congratulation to them..." Before Dumbledore could finish, the cup releases the fourth note under the shocked gaze of all present in the hall.

"James Jr Potter... JAMES JR POTTER!" At first, the name was whispered and none entirely catch it but the thundering words of Dumbledore end the rising mumbling of the crowd.

As the chubby and small young boy made his way, shaking from excitement as his name coming out of the goblet, he stops, like any other when the cup unleashes a last fifth parchment. The two Headmaster and headmistress at first mad that Hogwarts was having a second champion froze at the thought that perhaps a third would be added.

"Evans clan, Alexander Evans."

Even by being whispered those words course through the entire hall leaving a sensation similar to a sharp blade against their throat. The dead silence was broken by a high pitched scream before the sound of something falling limply on the ground resound.

All the gazes were attracted to the passed out James Potter who have faint while peed himself at the name.

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In the shadow of a frozen cell, in heavy silence, two profound deep green light snap open, gazing in the direction of the castle of Hogwarts.

"It's finally time."

Those early eyes close once again, their host waiting for the committee that was sure to make their way to him shortly.

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At Hogwarts, in the antechamber, the group of responsible and concerned people by the tournament irrupt loudly in the room, taking by surprise the three teen who has been waiting for them.

"What the meaning of this Albus?! Three champions, all for Hogwarts?! It unacceptable, we don't have signed for this!" The rent of the Durstrang Institue cut short the three things to receive the praise of their Head of school.

"What do you say, Barty?" Ask the old man gravely.

"The rules are clear, all those designed by the goblet must participate, as much as it pains me, he needs to be brought here and participate in the tournament."

"So the British Ministry will let a criminal out of Azkaban to allow Hogwarts with a third champion?!"

"No Madam Maxime, as stated by the parchment, Mister Evans will represent himself. Since his name have been given by the goblet under his clan name, he is thus considered as an invited guest, under the laws of the ICW, he is to be granted immunity for the duration of the tournament."

All paled at this as they know that none a single action could be taken against him during that time, as they all fall under the tournament contract doing so would lead to immense consequence, that none were willing to bear.

"If you must excuse me, I have a prisoner to take out of Azkaban and bring to Hogwarts, and adjustments for the first task to make." All could hear the bitter tone of the man but, like them, they didn't have a choice.

"I must all retire myself, the Minister must be warned." Says Dumbledore as he follows the Head of Department of International Magical Cooperation.

For once, Ludo Bagman shows a somewhat serious face, before it fades as he jovially remains the one present.

"The first task will be processed the 24 November, before this, a Weighing of the Wands ceremony, until them, take care!" Says the man before bouncing away, leaving a collection of Hogwarts professors, a passed out boy who has been dragged along, and two representatives of two schools under the shock of the revelations.

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Ever since Bartimus has exited the Ministry for Hogwarts, Minister Fudge has been waiting in his office to be contacted by the man in order to know the chosen champion of Hogwarts, he could care less from the two others, after all, they all know who would win in the end.

Contrary to his expectation, it wasn't by his door and the man he was waiting that he receive news, but by Floo and by the Headmaster of Hogwarts himself.

"Cornelius, do you have a moment? We have quite the situation there."

"Albus, sure, do come in." Says the man once he accepts the Floo call.

Taking a few steps backward to leave the old wizard some space to appears, he waits with a large smile on his face. His relation with the man has greatly improved since his awaking the year before, giving the proverb 'the enemy of your enemy his your friend' a new sens.

When the very man appears, a frown on his face, he lost all trace of a smile himself and go sit to his desk.

"What happens?"

"Five names have exited the goblet."

"Five?! How is it possible, it's an ancient artifact, I was assured that it couldn't be altered. this is a catastrophe, did the other school gain an additional champion?" Ask the man worriedly.

"No, one of the two last was James Potter..."

"Good! Having the Boy-Who-Lived in the tournament will gain much more attention, thus do us."

"It's not that who worry me, while the boy doesn't show a particular magic gift, it the last one."

"Stop making me languish, tell."

"Alexander Evans."

At first, Fudge was worried, but earing the name, he sighs in relief, perturbing Albus.

"It's just him! You have me worried about nothing their Albus. The boy has past the last three years with Dementors, I would be surprised that he would be able to correctly formulate the little of magic he would be able to remember."

When he heard this, the old man seems to be enlightened, they have feared the name but didn't think of what he had become, the exposure to Dementors have made the most robust of the men cower in few months, what could be left of a now fourteen-year-old after near three years?

They soon smile at this, happy that the situation was resolved until Fudge thinks of something.

"Now that I remember, the Ministry has been made unable to claim the boy's fine, it could be our chance to know were those millions have been hidden, and an additional fine for those three years, don't you think?"

"Yes, this way I would be able to pay for the poor William, taking out of the goblins and reclaim my gold, great thinking Cornelius, if you could excuse me, I have a Lord to call, and staff to calm down."

"Sure, go then Albus." The Minister, with his trademark smile on his face, says.

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While the two men where conversing, Bartimus have already attained the DMLE and take two Aurors with him and directly go the apparition point and vanish, after letting them know the destination.

The group of three and the boatman made their way in silence. the sea was eerily calm, letting them rejoin the prison in only four hours and a half rather than the five common hours of travel. When his gaze falls on the dark tower at the distance, he feels that something was wrong. The Boatmen seeing their confused faces spoke.

"It been more than two years since this happen, at first nothing was detected, but we, the boatmen remark something, 'they' start to vanish."

"'They'?"

"The Dementors, no one knows what happens to them, but in less than five months since it was reported, they completely vanish before 'it' happen". Said him while pointing with his finger, the top of the prison. The past dark stone was now heavily layered with thick arctic blue ice, running down on the first third of the prison, the entirely of the high-security cell.

"I didn't think it was possible but it became even worst than before." Says him shaking his heads, under the captived gazes of the three men.

"Before, you would just be exposed to those soul-sucking monsters for a short time and a dam ambient air, but now? This is a frozen hell, that damn weather seep into you to the bones, and nothing seems to be able to warm you. The guys inside need heavy enchanted coat to keep warm and their living on the lowest floors."

"What about the patrols?" Ask the youngest of the two Auror, only to receive a derisive chuckle for the boatman.

"Do you feel this, boy? where still a good mile before reaching the tower and you can already feel the cold, what do you think will happen to you if you're trapped in the higher floors?"

When they hear this, the three men gaze snap against on the tower, the nearer the came, the clearer their view on the prison. What they see made them shudder, the temperature around was already negative and the sea around the prison was now in a perpetual frozen state.

This was the reason why the travel was so short as the last half mile was now frozen water, stopping on the boundaries of the Wards, they would have to walk to the island. A shed could be seen along with another boathouse there. Disembarking, they were greeted by the Aurors posted on the prison.

"Welcome to the frozen hell, what can we do for you Mr.Crouch?"

This was perhaps the only good thing that happens here, with Dementors now gone, the Aurors posted there were finally free of the constant soul-sucking feeling, leaving them only to fend off the cold, raising their spirit for the first time in years.

"I need to retrieve a prisoner to bring him on the island."

When he heard him the warden nod, already guessing he would say this, after all, they came without prisoner, other than take one out, they don't have any other reason to be there.

"Who?"

"Alexander Evans."

When they hear the name, all the Aurors in post at the prison froze and became death white, starting to shake, while the warden's face hardens, clenching his fists so hard that his leather gloves seem ready to burst any second.

"I see." Say him in a grave voice, his previous happy tone long since forgotten. For the three men, this situation was unsetting.

"Something wrong?"

"You do know where he is right?"

"In one of the high cell?" Says Barty before starting to realize. At his response, the warden snort.

"Not in the high cell, rather, the highest one. We have been unable to reach them for the last past two years, are you sure he is still alive? I will not endanger the life of my men on a wild goose chase, only to found a dead body! Those inmates haven't been fed during all this time, and we have to need to change those from the middle cells the closed to the high one before we lost them."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I have already lost more than fifty prisoners before we could do anything, they froze to death and are nothing more than ice cubes, you want a prisoner for the Highest floor? I will need proof that he is still alive, otherwise, your on your own on this one."

"He has been selected as one of the champions in the Triwizard tournament."

"Fuck, their still one alive there? Men get ready!"

It was clear that those ten men where unwilling but have none other choices than follow the orders.