Bagman got up and followed. He was sweating bullets, still worried about the goblins, who were very upset with wizards right now. What with all the things going through their wards. He really hoped the Headmaster had a plan.
"'Ow are you going to convince ze young man to compete?" Madam Maxime asked as she watched her champion not eat her food. She was concerned about the young woman, while she was the strongest student in her school, she lacked confidence. It was something they worked on since the girl's name came out of the goblet. Fleur was now firm in that she knew what she was going to do, but the fact that she had to face a dragon was making her upset.
"I am sure that it will only take a small bit of persuasion to bring him around," the old man stated as he calmly ate his bagel.
Karkaroff scoffed, he knew that the old geezer was planning something and that the boy would not like it, but he held his tongue. He really didn't want Harry Potter to participate, not that he thought Krum couldn't beat him, but it took away from the Quidditch star's fame. The Boy-Who-Lived was in good with the public at this time. They all pitied him, and many were demanding that he not be forced to contend. Fudge was adamant that the child hero do so, he felt it would bring up his rating if the boy won.
Snape was making plans to leave after the task, when everyone was focused on the winner. He had to appear or there would be questions and people would seek him out. He had everything ready and was prepared to run.
He had a really bad feeling that if he didn't soon, then he never would. It might have to do with his lab being broken into last night, and the potion disappearing. If he could have, he would escape now, but the old man showed up at his door this morning and was making him stick by his side. He grumbled about conniving old men and their stupid plans as he finished his eggs.
Harry's POV
The group of six were done with breakfast and they watched as Dumbledore and his cohorts left the room. They figured that meant it was time to go and were now making their way out of the Hall, when the little blonde stopped suddenly, causing everyone to look at her.
"Is Sirius going to be there?" Luna asked with a vacant stare. "I have a feeling he is going to be needed."
"Yeah, he's going to be near Junior," Harry answered, rubbing her arm as he guided her out of the Hall. He really hated it when she was vague but knew that was how it worked and pushing her would not make it different.
"You need to beware of the nargles, Harry. If I were you, I would not…," she tried to warn, but trailed off and shook her head. It was gone. She just knew that everything wasn't going to go as planned, but she didn't know how it would be upset. All she saw was Harry in the arena surrounded by flames. "Please, don't compete, no matter what," she added, grabbing ahold of his arm.
"I have no intentions on stepping anywhere near the dragons. Don't worry, I'll be careful," he said, patting her hand, and then groaned as his alert went off. He looked at his map and saw Dumbledore and Snape making their way towards him. He figured they were going to try and talk him into competing, so he waved his friends on and said, "You guys go ahead, I'll be there in a minute." He then turned to confront the adults. He wasn't going to back down.
The other five opened their mouths like they were going to protest, but he gave them a wink and they reluctantly moved towards the stands.
"Mr. Potter, it is my understanding that you are still refraining from participating in the competition," Dumbledore stated in a questioning tone as the three teachers stopped in front of him. Snape just sneered.
"That's right. I didn't enter, and I'm not playing your games," the teen said with a nod of his head, folding his arms in a defiant manner. He sneered back and the Potions Masters, hoping he was keeping the twinkle out of his eyes. The last thing he wanted for the man to know that he knew.
"I am afraid I am going to have to insist," the old man replied with a bit of steel in his voice.
"Insist all you want, I'm not going. I'm done talking to you," Harry said, turning away from them as he had so many times before. He heard his red alert go off, and he made to turn around, but darkness overtook him.
Dumbledore nodded his thanks to the Potions Master, who had just hit our hero over the head with a blunt object spelled to render someone unconscious. Perhaps, he had hit the child too hard, but he really didn't care. Maybe, it would make the boy's amnesia worse and that would give Snape more time to run.
"Are you sure this was the right way to go about his, Albus? It could have some repercussions," the dour man asked, banishing the staff he used.
"I cannot risk him losing his magic. It is imperative that he remain here," the Headmaster tried to placate as he disillusioned and levitated the boy out of the school. "How will he fight Voldemort if he is so impaired?" he asked with a lifting of his eyebrow.
"Perhaps, you could have reasoned with the brat," Snape said unconvincingly.
"Have I been able to reason with Harry since his return?" was the rhetorical comeback.
Snape conceded the point and they made their way to the champions' tent, with the invisible boy floating behind them.
"Where is Potter?" Crouch demanded, when they appeared to come in alone. He needed the Boy-Who-Lived to compete. Fudge was breathing down his neck, and he was majorly concerned for his job. That and he still didn't know where Junior was.
"Do not worry. Continue on, and Harry will be there when he is supposed to," the Headmaster stated, keeping the teen invisible.
They did as he bid, each one hoping different things.
Hermione's POV
"Where's Harry? The task is going to start soon," Hermione asked, very worried about her friend. She was looking around at everyone but didn't see him.
"I don't know," Neville answered as he too scanned the crowd for the wayward teen.
"I find it lacking on his part that he required us to come and then didn't show," Madam Bones stated with a small glare at the children. She was a very busy woman, but the teen's lawyer stated that it was important that she be here.
Something about Death Eaters that would be unmasked today. There were also hints that dead men would appear, not that she gave much credit to that part. Dead men, indeed. Still, for the young man to not show didn't lend him much credibility.