Champion's Challenge

The next evening she again sat at the same table awaiting for the results from the Goblet of Fire. She was hopeful and excited about the possibility of being her school's representative. The same eagerness she'd had for the last few weeks. As everyone waited she couldn't help but look around for Harry Potter. She'd already written her sister the night before to tell her that she'd spoken to her future husband.

"Yes I asked him if he wanted the Bouillabaisse and he told me I could have it," Fleur had joked to her sister in the letter. "I don't think you better plan on serving it at your wedding. He didn't seem to like it."

Lost in her thoughts of Gabrielle, she almost missed the Goblet spit out the first name.

"The champion for Durmstrang," The Hogwarts' Headmaster read in loud voice, "will be Viktor Krum."

Fleur joined in the applause and cheering for the Durmstrang Champion. But again her eyes swept toward the black-haired young man with the emerald green eyes. Just as her eyes made it to him, the red-headed boy next to him yelled. "No surprises there!" Fleur thought she saw a bit of food fall out of the boy's mouth but she wasn't certain. Still she looked away.

Finally the cheering and applause faded away and everyone's eyes had returned to the Goblet of Fire. A few seconds passed before another parchment was sent in the air, propelled by the red flames. Fleur held her breath, not daring to hope or breath as she wondered if this would be the Beauxbatons one.

"The champion for Beauxbatons is Fleur Delacour."

At those words Fleur released her breath and looked around before rising gracefully to her feet. She heard several unkind words shed by some of her fellow students while others were literally in tears. Around the room applause had broken out again, but through the sounds she heard that voice again, one that had only said three words to her before.

"It's her, Ron!"

Fleur didn't look as she wanted. She kept her gaze firmly on the front of the Hall. She swept back her hair and walked toward the Head Table and the room they were told to enter. It was strange; though she could hear the applause, the room also felt deathly quiet as she made the journey. She could hear her own heartbeat and every breath she took. She took a deep breath as she tried to calm herself. "I can do this," She thought. "I will do this. I will be the best champion I can be. I owe it to my family and my school," Finally she found the door was in front of her. She opened it and stepped inside.

As the door to the room closed behind her she saw Viktor was pacing on the other side. He glanced up at her but spoke no words, only returned to his pacing while staring at the floor. A minute later the door opened once again and a handsome kind faced young man wearing the black robes of Hogwarts trimmed in yellow entered the room.

"Hello. I'm Cedric, Cedric Diggory," The young man said. Fleur could see he was fighting her allure, but held no ill will in his eyes.

"I'm Fleur, Fleur Delacour," She replied with a smile.

"Well have any idea on what they have planned for us?"

Fleur shook her head. "Non, Madam Maxime said it will be dangerous zough."

By then Krum had walked over to them and they all stood in front of the fire. "Karkarov said the same thing," he added.

They lapsed into silence. Each of them thinking what dangers, what challenges would lie ahead of them. Fleur imagined hoisting the Triwizard Cup up in the air in triumph as she was declared the winner. Shortly into those musings the door once again opened. The noise broke Fleur's thoughts, she turned and stopped. Harry Potter had come into the room and was just standing there staring nervously at them.

"What is eet?" Fleur asked. "Do zey want us back in ze 'all?" Obviously the Hogwarts' Headmaster had sent his most famous pupil to deliver a message.

Harry Potter didn't say a word, he just stood there looking around nervously. Again the door opened and this time the person who had been identified earlier as Ludo Bagman entered the room.

"Extraordinary!" Bagman said as he took Harry's arm. "Absolutely extraordinary!" Gentlemen...lady, may I introduce - incredible though it may seem - the fourth Triwizard champion?"

Fleur smiled at the joke. "Oh vairy funny joke, Meester Bagman," She said.

"Joke?" Bagman asked. "No, no not at all! Harry's name just came out of the Goblet of Fire!"

"WHAT!" Fleur thought. The dangers of the Triwizard tournament had been stressed when Madam Maxime had made the announcement and asked for volunteers to travel to Hogwarts as possible champions. Champions had died she said. "But evidently zair 'as been a mistake," she said contemptuously to Bagman. "E cannot compete. 'E is too young."

The door opened again and this time several people entered including the Hogwarts' Headmaster, Madam Maxime, Durmstrang's Headmaster, A ministry employee named Crouch, an older woman with glasses and a greasy haired man.

Fleur immediate protested to her Headmistress. There was no way they could be serious in letting someone as young as Harry in the tournament. "Zey are saying zat zis little boy is to compete also!" Fleur remembered that Harry was only a year older than her sister, and to Fleur, Gabrielle was definitely a little girl.

When she said the words to Madam Maxime, Fleur had turned to point at Harry and she saw the anger that passed through those green eyes. It was a look she had not expected and definitely not the look of a little boy.

For a while the Headmasters and judges argued. When Harry had been asked pointedly, he denied putting his name in the Goblet.

"I hate to have to tell Gabrielle her crush is a liar and a cheat," Thought Fleur, suddenly saddened. "I wish I hadn't sent the letter last night now."

Lost in thought of her letter to her sister, Fleur missed the entry of a gnarled old man. Only the tapping of his wooden leg on the floor brought her concentration back to the room.

"If anyone's got a reason to complain, it's Potter," the gnarled man said. "but...funny thing...I don't hear him saying a word."