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The Black Heir	By : gpsassi Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Voldemort Views: 42492 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 20
- 21
- 22
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters created and owned by JK
Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books,
Scholastic Books and Raincoat Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being
made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

AN: Thank you all for your wonderful reviews! They cheer me up! I know
it�s been a while since I updated, I had to study for my midterms, so I hope to
be updating more often now.

I�m following the books and not the movies in my fic, so there are
differences between my chapters and what was shown in the Goblet of Fire movie.
And the main difference with the book is that Durmstrang and Beauxbatons
students will be attending classes together with Hogwarts students. I never
knew where they took their lessons, since in the book isn�t specified, but in
this case Lez, Orion and Calypso will be going to class with the Slytherins of
fourth year and the other foreign students will do so as well with their
respective years.

Yes, Orion is in denial about the nature of LV�s interest in him, but
not because he is thick-headed, just because he is very suspicious about LV�s
true intention and doesn�t believe that LV has a sincere and personal interest
in him. He thinks he is being manipulated and given LV�s character that�s quite
understandable. And also, he is very oblivious when it comes to people being
attracted to him, for instance, he has no clue that Draco likes him.

About LV�s interest in Orion while he is still so young, I don�t
consider it to be pedophilia, LV isn�t lusting after him, not exactly. He
doesn�t want to take him to bed (not yet), he just wants to entice him, to draw
him in. He craves Orion�s powers, he sees Orion as a possession he must have
and thus his age matters little to him. If some of you don�t like LV taking a
physical interest in Orion so soon, please let me know, I don�t want to disgust
anyone. I can delay it as much as you like.

And Dumbledore isn�t able to see through Orion�s blood glamour. Remember
that they met the night Sirius was captured and Dumbledore didn�t see it then
and he wouldn�t because he is a light pureblood wizard, he doesn�t have magical
creature blood in him (at least in my fic).

About Ollivander�s obliviated memories, in this case Orion did destroy the
memories while he searched his mind, but well, perhaps complications will arise
nevertheless. As one reviewer pointed out, Ollivander will think it strange
that he woke up on the floor of his store without remembering how he got there.

And it will be explained in later chapters why Orion is not suspicious
about the physical resemblances between locketTom and LV when he is so sharp
about everything else. There is a reason for it but you�ll discover it later on
�grins-.

And thank you Kirril for your review, it showed a lot of insight.

Enjoy and
Review!

Chapter 21 � Loki & the Goblet of Fire

His body was burning. He felt his skin tighten against his heaving
chest, he felt out of breath and gave a tormented needy moan. He felt as though
he was surrounded by a pleasant burning fire, he felt hands touching every part
of his body. He felt the heat rise inside of him. Scarlet eyes were watching
him, taking in every inch of his skin. He could hear parseltongue words hissed
against his ear and he could feel a light tongue trailing his jaw, along his
neck to his chest. He arched in need. He felt long fingers touching him, moving
lower and lower. He let out a loud moan.

Orion woke up feverishly and dazed, covered in sweat. What the bloody
hell had that dream been about?

He shook his head and touched his skin. It still felt very warm, he felt
as if he was just recovering from a high fever. His mind felt slow and as if it
didn�t want to wake up to.

Orion sat on his bed and rubbed his eyes. He had been having weird dreams
for a while now but soon after he forgot about them, just the sensations
remained. And the sensations were disturbing to say the least. He felt he
needed something. He remembered touches accompanied by pleasure, erotic
pleasure. He wondered if those dreams had anything to do with being an
adolescent. Perhaps the other boys also had this kind of dreams. Perhaps his
mind was telling him that he was ready for something more. His relationship
with Lezander was steady and they indulged in long snogging sessions and
caresses, but Orion hadn�t felt ready for anything more though he knew Lezander
already was.

Sleep had abandoned him completely. He felt restless, he needed to do
something. He looked at his nightstand and saw one of the many books that
Lucius had given him during the summer: Proper Wizardry Protocol and Conduct
Befitting a Pureblood. Orion sighed, well, that would surely induce him
into a slumber. But he needed to do something more physical.

Orion got up and silently crept out of the dormitory. The common room
was empty. He did a quick tempus spell and saw that it was three in the
morning. Maybe he couldn�t sleep because tomorrow they were leaving for
Hogwarts.

The first two months of class had been very intense, as if the teachers
wanted them to learn as much as possible before the Tournament. Even the
students that weren�t going were very excited and always came up to the
delegation students to give them tips and express their encouragement. And the
students that were going had started meeting after class to go through spells
together. Even Viktor Krum had approached him and extended a hand in
friendship, asking for his forgiveness for having been angry at him when Orion
had used the parseltongue spell in the Dueling Tournament. After spending some
time with Krum, Orion saw that he was a good person, not bright or interesting
in a conversation, but he was a good dueler and Orion enjoyed his conversations
about Quidditch with him.

Calypso had been studying furiously and always dragged Lezander and him to
the library to learn more spells that could be useful. Orion smiled when he
thought of her. She was nearly in hysterics, always muttering about the
importance of winning the Triwizard Tournament in order to elevate the
reputation of dark schools such as Durmstrang.

Classes had been very interesting, especially Occlumency &
Legilimency. Lezander excelled thanks to his natural mind barriers and Calypso
had quickly taken to Occlumency. Master Selvans made Orion and Lezander go
ahead of the rest and start practicing Legilimency. It was much tougher than
Occlumency but Orion was determined to be good at it. He had seen first hand
how Voldemort used it and he wanted to be able to cast the spell wandlessly and
without the need of eye contact just like Voldemort did. He was nowhere near
that level of expertise, with just two months of practice, but in the two years
of class that they had he was determined to accomplish it. Calypso�s facility
with Occlumency also made Orion wonder when he should disclose some of his
secrets to her. He had felt partially guilty that he had told Lezander about
his Harry Potter identity without being able to tell her. But now that she was
learning Occlumency quickly perhaps he could tell her the truth. She was his
best-friend and always confided in him and he trusted her completely. So maybe
in the not so distant future he could tell her. Someone would find out sooner
or later and she would feel betrayed that he hadn�t told her and besides, he
would need all the support he could get when the cat was out of the bag. Orion
decided that perhaps he would tell her this year.

Orion looked around and when he saw that he was alone he quickly cast a
disillusionment charm and left the fourth year dorms. He glanced around the
hallway and quickly darted towards the first classroom.

He quickly conjured some candles and lit them, after flicking his wand
to end the disillusionment charm. He paced around the classroom still feeling
some apprehension. He had the feeling that something was about to happen this
year. It could be his nervousness regarding the Triwizard Tournament but he
felt it was something else. Many things were disturbing him. From Draco�s
letters he had discovered that Mad-Eye Moody was teaching Defense Against the
Dark Arts. That had almost made him quit the delegation. Sirius had long ago
told him about the legendary Auror and his deep hatred against the Dark Arts
but that hadn�t worried him, though he was concerned for Calypso�s sake. That
man had been the one to lead the attack on Rosier Manor which resulted in the
death of her mother and uncle. He was worried about how his friend would cope
with Moody�s presence at Hogwarts. But what he feared the most was the wizard�s
magical eye. He remembered Sirius telling him about some of its properties and
only after he had exhausted the entire library�s resources about those types of
magical aids, was he able to rest a little bit more peacefully. According to
his research, a magical eye was able to see through normal glamour spells,
invisibility cloaks, mildly powerful disillusionment charms, and clothes � the
clothes part was still a bit disturbing in Orion�s opinion- but thankfully it
wasn�t able to see through dark blood spells as the one he used to cover his
scar. So he had no reason for concern there. But there was still the matter of
Ollivander and his wand, and needless to say that an entire year under
Dumbledore�s watch could be disastrous if the old codger managed to uncover
some of his secrets. And there was also Snape, which he still didn�t know on
whose side he was on. Going to Hogwarts was dangerous for him but on the other
hand the castle held many mysteries that needed to be explored. He wanted to
find the Chamber of Secrets and explore it thoroughly; he also needed to steal
his invisibility cloak. He hadn�t forgotten about his quest of obtaining the
Deathly Hallows, and though he was far more interested in the Resurrection
Stone than anything else, Karkaroff had told him that he needed to get all of
them. As to the why, he didn�t know, but he would follow Karkaroff�s advice.

Orion was also concerned about Remus. The last letter he had received
from him said that Remus had already made contact with the werewolf packs and
that he was going to join them. Orion was glad that Remus was taking his advice
and that he was returning to the packs in order to gauge the situation and try
to take command but he feared for Remus� safety. Mordred knew that Greyback was
ferocious and unbalanced, he hoped that Remus would be able to subtlety take
control without confronting Greyback until he had enough support from the other
werewolves. That had been the last letter and Remus had told him that he
wouldn�t be able to communicate with him while he was with the packs, since
they lived segregated from any magical or muggle communities and he couldn�t
risk any owls being seen delivering letters near their camps.

Orion warily carded his fingers through his hair and exhaled slowly,
trying to relax. He needed to expend some energy to take his mind out of his
many concerns. He inhaled deeply and started emptying his mind. He focused
slowly on his inner core and prodded it. Quick black flashes started swirling
around his core and he smiled while he maintained his eyes closed. He was
getting pretty good at summoning his dark magic at will. After that first time
of conjuring the black flames in his bedroom at Malfoy Manor, he had never
stopped practicing. At first he always ended up exhausted and with few results
but he had slowly gotten better at it and now it wasn�t so tiresome or hard to
get his black magic stirring. For more powerful effects he needed to think
about his rage and desire for vengeance, but he had also learned that the first
stirrings of magic came easily if he was relaxed and calm. His training in Occlumency
had been great in order to accomplish it and now he was using those meditation
skills in order to open the source of his dark magic. He concentrated harder
and lifted his right palm upwards. He thought about the shape he wanted his
magic to take. When he was angry, he was able to conjure the black flames
easily, but when he was calm, such as now, his magic took a new form. With his
eyes closed and his mind calm and relaxed, he felt his magic sweeping through
him and going up his arm. He felt it immediately in his palm and opened his
eyes and grinned when he saw the results. There, floating a few inches above
his extend palm was a dark globe of moving black water. He looked mesmerized at
the soft tidal movements of its surface and felt a sense of tranquility. He
prodded at it with his index finger of his other hand and smiled when he felt
the coolness of the water on his fingertip. He concentrated harder and made the
water swirl faster until the small waves moved violently across the surface. He
narrowed his eyes and the globe expanded and the waves crashed furiously
against each other and he felt the temperature drop. He felt chills running
through his body as he made the water turn icy and with a sudden movement of
his palm he pushed the globe forwards and saw it turning into a jet of
razor-sharp black ice as it flew through the air and crashed noisily against a
wall.

Orion moved forwards and knelt in front of the large shattered black
crystals. He touched one and quickly withdrew the finger that had a shallow cut
where it had touched one of the edges of one of the fragments. He smiled to
himself. Yes, he was getting pretty good at it.

Suddenly the hairs on his neck prickled and he felt a sweeping coldness
around him. He quickly stood up while turning around and was faced with a
ghost-like white apparition.

He looked at her open-mouthed. In all his years at Durmstrang this was
the first time he had seen her since the Chamber of Whispers.

The ageless, small woman with long dark hair and piercing dark eyes
floated in front of him with a small smile on her face.

�I see you have been practicing. Not too bad, but you can do much much
more,� she said with an unearthly voice, �That was a pittance in comparison
with what you can really do.�

Orion closed his mouth and quirked an eyebrow, �How would you know? This
is the first time I have met you since that day.�

She floated towards him and said quietly while piercing him with her
black eyes, �Oh, I have been observing you. Always. And I know more about you
than you do yourself.�

Orion frowned, �You told me that you would answer my questions when I
found you.�

She chuckled and her unearthly voice resounded through the walls of the
classroom, �But you haven�t found me. I came to you.�

�And how am I supposed to find you?� Orion asked in exasperation, �I
have searched the castle and I haven�t found anything. Why won�t you tell me
now what you meant all those years ago about me being something else, something
unexpected?�

She reached towards him with her translucent hand and briefly touched
his cheek. Orion felt a weird iciness where her fingers had touched him before
she dropped her hand and moved away. She floated above him and calmly replied,
�You aren�t ready yet to find me. Your questions will have to wait.�

Orion scowled at her, �I have waited for some years now. I have the
right to know what you were talking about. I don�t like to be played around.�

She looked at him in amusement and lifted a small finger to point at his
neck, �First you need someone else to answer your questions.�

Orion looked at what she was pointing at and brought the onyx pendant
out from under his shirt. He looked at her with wide-eyes and said in a
whisper, �This- the Deathly Hallows is related to you?�

�In a way,� she said succinctly.

Orion was starting to lose his patience. He said sharply, �Just tell me
what you meant about me being something unexpected. I�m not what you wished me
to be? Is that why you won�t tell me?�

She looked at him seriously and replied, �You are something else but
you�re also who you were meant to be. Whom I and others have been waiting for.
You will have your answers when you are ready and that portkey won�t activate
until then. Only afterwards will you be able to find me.�

She turned away from him and started fading.

�Wait! Please, wait!� said Orion desperately, �What am I?!�

She turned her head around and whispered softly, �What we have planned
for countless of centuries, Vindico Atrum.� And then she disappeared.

Orion stood stunned in the middle of the classroom and he felt the
temperature rising to its normal level. He turned her last words in his mind.
She had called him �Vindico Atrum�, he mused, a Latin phrase�. �Atrum� meant
darkness��Vindico� had several interpretations, the liberator, protector,
avenger, the one to deliver�.What had she meant? The Liberator of Darkness? The
one to deliver Darkness? The Protector of Darkness?

What did it all mean?! Orion wanted to scream in frustration. Why wasn�t
he ready yet to know things about himself? And why did she say that she knew
more about himself than he did? And she knew about his powers when only
Voldemort had seen them in the past. He had never told or shown anyone. She
might have seen him practicing but how did she know that he could do much more?
That his powers went beyond from what he was able to do now. A pittance! She
had said that his show of magic today had been a pittance in comparison to what
he was capable of really doing! Then surely he needed to practice more and see
how far he could go.

He frowned and looked at his onyx pendant. She was able to see it for
what it truly was; a pendant of the Deathly Hallows that was really a portkey
to someone. He had never thought that the spirits of the Chamber of Whispers
and the Deathly Hallows were related. He might have suspect of the spirits
interacting with Karkaroff in the past, but he didn�t have any evidence of it.
Karkaroff had never mentioned them. But now there was no doubt in his mind, the
Deathly Hallows was related to the spirits and he was related to the Deathly
Hallows. Perhaps he would only be able to find the spirits when he found the
Hallows? Orion sighed, that would take very long�.But no, she had said that he
would find her after talking to the person to which the portkey was meant to
take him to. So maybe he didn�t need the Hallows first. But when would the
damned portkey work?!

Orion angrily spelled away the black crystals and candles and he trudged
back to his common room.

When he entered the common room he halted in mid-step when he saw a
small figure sitting quietly on one of the couches. The boy had his eyes closed
and seemed to be concentrating or meditating. Orion silently stepped closer and
immediately felt the small stirring in his inner magic whenever he was close to
the other boy. It had confused him at first, that his magic reacted to the
other boy�s presence. Especially since he didn�t know anything about him or had
ever interacted with him. And most particularly because it had only started
this year. He had observed the other boy during these first two months and a
suspicion had arisen in his mind but he had never approached the other boy. He
wasn�t sure. But the indications were there. How he never spoke to anyone,
always chose to remain apart, never had any friends and always used large robes
that almost covered him completely.

Orion stood silently contemplating the dark-haired boy when his black
eyes opened and fixed with Orion�s.

The boy scowled and said moodily, �Oh, it�s you.�

Orion frowned at him and took a seat in front of the other boy. He
calmly said, �Yes, only me.�

�What do you want, Black?� snapped the boy.

Orion hesitated but decided that this conversation was long overdue. He
pierced the boy with his eyes and said quietly, �I want to know if you�re
getting ready to be a Necromancer, Loki.�

Loki fiercely scowled at him, �Why would you think that?�

�I never understood why you dismissed all the attempts students have
made to get to know you through the years. You always stay apart from the rest
and you talk to no one. But I think I know the reason why. It would make sense
if you want to be a Necromancer.� replied Orion earnestly, �You came to
Durmstrang already knowing you wanted to be one, that�s why you reject all
human contact. I wonder how you knew from such a young age that you wanted to
be one, or that you have the capacity to be one.�

�Oh, so you have finally figured it out, then?� said Loki sharply, �And
now I have to put up with all your questions just because your tiny little
brain was able to come up with the reason for my behavior?�

Orion shrugged his shoulders, �I was just curious.�

�Why should I tell you? What business is it of yours?� said Loki
angrily.

�Probably none,� replied Orion calmly, �But I have felt-� He wavered and
looked at Loki uncertainly.

�Felt what? I�m in no mood to put up with your games, Black,� spat Loki.

Orion lost his patience and said angrily, �I�m not playing games. I just
wanted to have a civil conversation with you!�

Loki sneered, �Well, I have no wish to speak to you now or ever.�

�Have it your way, then,� snapped Orion, �I recently felt some
compatibility with your magic and I just wanted to know what it was!�

Orion stood up angrily and turned around to go to his dorm but then he
heard Loki say caustically, �So you have finally felt it? I wondered how long
it would take you.�

He spun around to look at the other boy and arched an eyebrow, �So you
have felt it also?�

Loki snorted, �Of course I have. You must be really dense if it took you
all this time to know what you are.�

Orion frowned and sat back on his chair, �You mean to tell me that you
think I could be a Necromancer?�

Loki looked at him indifferently and scoffed, �Not at the rate you�re
going.�

Orion inhaled slowly, buying time to gain more patience, and then said
quietly, �But this�this thing I feel around you is because you have the
potential of being a Necromancer and I have it also and therefore my magic
reacts to yours?�

Loki looked at him as if he were dumbest person on the world and had
just uttered something completely obvious.

Orion rolled his eyes, �Alright. So that�s the reason why.� He frowned
at Loki and asked, �But how did you know that you had the potential when you
were only eleven?�

�I knew even before that,� said Loki sternly. Then he sneered, �That you
have only found out when you�re old because you�re obtuse or just magically
weak doesn�t mean that others like us don�t know from the beginning.�

�I�m not magically weak or obtuse!� said Orion angrily, �I just didn�t
know much about Necromancers until now! How was I supposed to know?�

Loki quirked an eyebrow, �Didn�t your parents tell you and prepared you
for it? Didn�t they explain the signs to look for in your magic in order to
know if you had the power to become a Necromancer?�

Orion scowled at him and said sharply, �I have never known my mother and
just met my father a few years ago and I sincerely doubt that he knew anything
about Necromancers. And he�s dead now so I have no one to ask.�

�Well, I�m sorry for you then,� said Loki a little bit more gently,
though not much, �I guess your ignorance is not so appalling then, due to your
circumstances. But I dare say that your family should have told you, they have
only hindered your progress.�

�But how would they know?� asked Orion uncertainly.

�Necromantic powers are hereditary. There must have been someone in your
bloodline who was a Necromancers, maybe centuries ago, but nevertheless he
would have left books and journals about his experience and those would be
family heirlooms. At least in dark magical families those books would be
treasured and passed down to the next Necromancer in line. And a family with an
ancestor who had been a Necromancer, knows that children have to be tested to
see if they have the power,� explained Loki impatiently, �I was tested when I
was ten, but of course, my family already knew I would be one.�

Orion thought over the information he had been given. Well, the powers
must come from the Black line since his mother was a muggleborn, but then why
had no one mentioned it? Well, Sirius had never paid much attention to family
tradition or Black history so his ignorance on the matter was easily explained,
though unforgivable in Orion�s opinion. To disregard family history, especially
of an important and powerful line like the Blacks, was a very disrespectful
thing to do. But his father had been very immature and careless so it was quite
in character that he would have turned deaf ears to whatever his parents were
trying to teach him. And Orion didn�t have grandparents that could have told
him. He wondered if Narcissa and Bellatrix knew something about it? Though
Sirius� Black bloodline was the main one and the more powerful one, his line
shared much of the same history as the Blacks from Narcissa�s side. But should
he ask them about Necromantic powers in the bloodline? That would only raise
suspicions and he wasn�t sure if it was something he wanted to be divulged. He
rather preferred to keep his aces in his sleeves, if no one knew and he was
able to become a Necromancer secretly, it would be a great advantage. And about
those journals and books� he would have to go to his Gringotts vault and search
it. He had never entered the Black vault before but heirlooms would be kept
there.

He looked at Loki and asked with curiosity, �Why did your family already
know that you had the powers without being tested?�

�Because of who my father is of course,� said Loki. When he saw Orion�s
uncomprehending frown, he said scornfully, �Don�t you know anything?�

Orion�s anger flared and he said snappishly, �I think we have already
established that, haven�t we? I already told you that I know next to nothing
about Necromancers. So, no, I don�t know who your father is!�

Loki said completely unfazed, �Well, my father is Prime Necro Master
Njord, of the Necromancer Guild.�

Orion blinked. Guild? They had a Guild? He asked sheepishly, �Er�a
Necromancer Guild?�

Loki rolled his eyes and huffed in annoyance, �You really are clueless.�
Then he said impatiently, �Yes, they have a Guild. How do you expect them to be
organized without one? And they have this whole hierarchy and it takes decades
of experience and loads of proofs of your power to rise in the echelon. And my
father is one of the three Primes that command the Guild.�

Orion frowned, �And what exactly does the Guild do? Why the need to have
an organization?�

�I can�t tell you that,� bit out Loki, �Only a real Necromancer has the
right to ask for admittance or even learn about their objectives.�

Orion sighed, �Fine, I understand this whole need for secrecy.� The he
looked at Loki and said perceptively, �Is that why you want to be a
Necromancer? To be close to your dad?�

Loki�s face darkened and Orion quickly added softly, �It would be
understandable, you know. If my father had been one I would have probably done
as you have. I mean, from what I know your father can�t interact much with you,
especially if he�s so powerful. So the only way to be near him would be to turn
into a Necromancer yourself. It must really be tough to have a Necromancer as a
father��

�Yes it is,� said Loki quietly, �He can�t touch me or speak to me. I
barely see him�� Then he looked up at Orion and said fiercely, �But I�m proud
of who my father is. I have never recriminated him for being one and not being
able to spend time with me.�

Orion nodded and asked uncertainly, �But are you willing to leave
everything behind? Er�you know, the whole thing about losing part of your
humanity and never interacting with other people��

Loki scowled and snapped, �Yes. I�m willing. It�s worth it. It�s a small
price to pay for the great power that Necromancers have.�

Orion looked at him dubiously and Loki sneered, �You�re obviously not
ready and with all the years you have squandered without preparing yourself I
doubt you will be able to become one.�

Orion took no offense. In comparison to Loki he was very far behind
indeed. Loki was already completely isolated from everyone else and had no
compunction in leaving everyone behind in order to fulfill his ambitions. He
looked up at Loki and said earnestly, �I do want to become one, you know. Now
that I know that I have certain capacity for it I would like to explore it but
I�m not sure if I�m able to isolate myself from the ones I love,� he swallowed
thickly and continued softly, �I�m also doing it for my father. And if I were
in your shoes I wouldn�t hesitate for a minute in becoming one if it meant I
could be with my father. But my case is different. My father was Kissed by a
Dementor,� he said and looked up at Loki who merely nodded his head, and Orion
continued, �I want to try and pry his soul from the Dementor and give my father
his life back. But even if I succeeded I wouldn�t be able to be with him
afterwards because at that point I would be so completely submerged in the Arts
that I couldn�t turn back to what I was once before. So I would live alone
knowing that my father is alive but without being able to be with him or the
others I care for.�

Loki looked at him in understanding and said quietly, �In your case it�s
complicated.� He sighed, �I would probably want to rescue my father as well, no
matter the price, but to know that the probabilities of success are slim to
none and only knowing if you have failed or succeeded in your attempt when it
is too late to turn back, when you have already irreversibly changed�Well,
maybe you should think more deeply about what you�re willing to give up.�

Orion looked at his feet and said quietly, �Yes. It�s a difficult
choice. And as you said, I have lost many years, maybe I won�t be powerful
enough to succeed even if I took the plunge into the Arts.�

�Maybe I was too hasty to say that,� said Loki uncomfortably, �I mean,
if you have the drive and the power I�m sure that you could be a great
Necromancer one day.�

Orion smiled wanly at him and replied softly, �Thank you, Loki.�

Loki nodded curtly but didn�t say anything else. Orion stood up tiredly
and bid his good-night, even if there were only a few hours until morning. Just
when he was about to climb the stairs to their dorm he heard Loki saying
quietly, �Good-luck in the Tournament.�

Orion smiled to himself and replied without looking back, �Thank you. For everything.�

The very first thing that Orion noticed about Hogwarts was that it was
very warm. After several hours of journeying under the depths of the sea he was
glad when their ship came up to the surface of the lake. He barely remembered
the castle from the first time he had seen it during the horrible night of his
father�s capture. His mind had been completely preoccupied with more important
matters. But now he could see that it was a beautiful castle, its size similar
to Durmstrang�s and the magic it gave off in waves was just as powerful. Though
Durmstrang was indubitably much more ancient and had a different feeling all
together. The main difference with Hogwarts was that it was light while Durmstrang
was dark; from the color of the stones that made its walls to the feel of the
magic of the place. Hogwarts seemed like a cozy home while Durmstrang felt like
an imposing fortification. Hogwarts� feeling was that of happiness and
childishness, Durmstrang felt like contained dark power and seriousness. Orion
could even see it in the faces of the students. They were all carefree and
relaxed. In Durmstrang everyone was always studying fiercely and always aiming
to better themselves, there wasn�t much place for childish pranks and games.
And Orion had to admit that he preferred Durmstrang, because he knew that the
type of environment that Durmstrang provided was the best to train more
powerful and disciplined wizards, even if it meant a more severe education and
less time for play, it was well worth it.

They were greeted by Hogwarts� student standing in rows in front of the
immense steps of the castle while they gaped at their ship and murmured between
them. Vagnarov had curtly greeted Dumbledore and Orion had to hold back a
snigger when he saw that those two didn�t seem to get along, it was probably
because Vagnarov had been ruthless in the negotiations and had gained the upper
hand in many of the things he had requested. Dumbledore�s eyes still twinkled merrily
but Orion could perceive the strong dislike that the old coot had for his
Headmaster. And Vagnarov merely scanned Hogwarts� students and the castle with
cold and shrewd eyes and a small sneer on his face. Orion couldn�t be anymore
proud of his Headmaster, he was a force to reckon with.

They filed together and entered the Great Hall. Orion saw the
Beauxbatons students shivering in their pale blue silk uniforms with huge
fluffy scarves around their necks, sitting at the Ravenclaw table. Orion
shrugged off his expensive fur coat and straightened his dark burgundy uniform.
He missed the Hydra crest on his uniform�s chest. Vagnarov had told them that
all Order crests had to be removed and only Durmstrang�s coat of arms shield
had to remain on their uniforms since no one outside of Durmstrang could know
about the Orders or how the students were organized. Orion always wondered
about all the secrecy about his school but he wouldn�t go against the rules. He
looked around and saw enormous silk banners hung from the walls, each of them
representing a Hogwarts House: red with a gold lion for Gryffindor, blue with a
bronze eagle for Ravenclaw, yellow with a black badger for Hufflepuff, and
green with a silver serpent for Slytherin. Behind the teachers' table, the largest
banner of all bore the Hogwarts coat of arms: lion, eagle, badger, and snake
united around a large letter H. But the most impressive feature was the
transparent ceiling which showed the evening dusk. Some books alleged that it
had been Salazar Slytherin�s idea and his spells which had turned the arched
ceiling into a wonder of magic, saying that he had done it so that anyone at
Hogwarts could feel the immensity of our world and our due place in it. Orion
wondered what he had meant with that, if the account was true.

The loudest table by far was the Gryffindor�s, they were boisterously
commenting on the new students and it got much worse when Viktor Krum finally
appeared from underneath his huge coat. Orion saw the red-headed idiot, Ron,
gaping open-mouthed at Krum before he regained some measure of intelligence and
started waving his hand at Krum and shouting for him to seat with him over the
loud voices. Many others were taking out quills and parchments, obviously
waiting to pounce on Krum in order to ask for autographs.

Orion saw Draco over at the Slytherin table. The Slytherins were all
looking around with a supreme air of indifference but he saw Draco�s lips turn
into a smile when he saw him. Orion turned to Lezander who was getting much
attention from some girls nearby and Calypso was looking around examining the
Great Hall. He nudged them over towards the Slytherin table and when he came up
to Krum he quietly said to him, �If you wish to escape your avid fans sit with
us with some friends at the Slytherin table. I promise they won�t badger you.�

Krum�s surly expression lightened when he turned around to look at him
and said gratefully, �Thank you. I think I vill.�

Orion wondered how Viktor�s thick Bulgarian accent had managed to
survive all his years at Durmstrang. Classes were taught in English since most
of the students were from different countries of Central and Eastern Europe and
had been taught English during their childhoods. Lezander still had a slight
accent which Orion couldn�t pin but found endearing and Viktor Vlonski, though
Russian, spoke English like a true Englishman, the same went for the rest of
his friends.

Krum and the other Durmstrang students sat in front of Draco. And Orion,
after receiving a quick hug from Draco, sat with Lezander and Calypso at his
side. Dumbledore said some introductory words of welcome and wished them to
enjoy the feast. Soon spectacular dishes appeared on their table and
conversations rang loudly through the Great Hall.

After introducing Krum and his friends to Draco, Blaise, Theo, Pansy and
Millicent, Orion�s eyes turned towards the teacher�s table. Vagnarov was
talking cordially with Beauxbatons� Headmistress, Madame Maxime, if Orion
remembered correctly, and Dumbledore was speaking in low hushed tones with
McGonagall. He remembered that Sirius used to speak very fondly of her, saying
that she was very strict but always fair and Sirius had loved to annoy her with
his charms during his days as a Marauder. Snape had a deep scowl and was
glowering at everyone and when their eyes met he saw Snape�s eyes narrowing and
his brows furrowing. Orion paid him no mind and kept his inspection. As his
eyes swept once more and he saw Dumbledore giving him a quick side-glance
before continuing his conversation. Orion restrained the impulse of giving him
a nasty look and he continued his inspection. His eyes narrowed when he saw
Mad-Eye Moody�s magical eye spinning in his head looking around. He seemed to
be looking far too frequently at the Gryffindors� table.

Orion felt Calypso tense at his side and he turned to look at her. She
was pale and her black eyes were narrowed in hatred while she looked at Moody.
Orion clasped her hand under the table and said in a whisper, �I told you he
was going to be here. Are you alright?�

Calypso�s lips thinned and she said through gritted teeth, �Yes. I can
manage. It�s just that seeing him there, in the flesh, after everything he has
taken from me��

Orion squeezed her hand and whispered, �I understand. But you are
strong, you just have to keep up appearances. You�ll get your chance for
revenge once the war starts.�

She turned her face up to look at him and her eyes flashed while she
said with conviction �Oh, he will get his due, I�ll make sure of that. And I
will enjoy it immensely.�

�That�s the spirit!� said Orion with a smile.

Draco had been speaking with Krum while shooting smug glances at Ron
Weasley over the many heads of the students, while the other boy turned red in
anger. After the conversation with Krum had dulled, Draco turned to Orion and
said with a smirk, �How�s Sylvana?�

Orion smiled at him, �Furious, she wouldn�t stop hissing at me for not
bringing her here and for sending her back home. But really, I tried to explain
to her that low-rated schools such as this didn�t admit beautiful serpents as a
familiar and she didn�t believe me.�

Draco shot him a glare and said bristling, �Hogwarts isn�t low rated!�

�Perhaps not,� replied Orion with a smirk, �but I wouldn�t change
Durmstrang for Hogwarts for a million galleons. There are far too many
ridiculous restrictions on magic here.�

Draco sniffed and said arrogantly, �Well, we learned about the
Unforgivables earlier this term.�

Calypso scoffed and replied in a smug whisper meant only for their small
group, �We learned and practiced them last year.�

Draco scowled moodily at them and turned around to listen to Pansy�s
blabbering.

Orion nudged Lezander�s ribs with his elbow, since he had been strangely
quiet, and said to him tauntingly, �You�re getting a lot of appreciative
glances. Should I be concerned?�

�So have you. I dare say that we are the handsomest boys in the room.
What a divine pair we make,� said Lezander while smirking roguishly at him.

Orion looked at him skeptically. He hadn�t seen anyone looking at him
with interest, clearly Lezander was joking.

Calypso huffed when she saw his expression and said in a vexed tone of
voice, �Really, Orion, you�re completely oblivious when someone shows an
interest in you. They would have to hit you on the head with a broomstick to
get your notice. How you managed to get a boyfriend is beyond me.�

Lezander laughed and interjected, �I almost had to hit him, that�s for
sure. But he finally caught on after many of my advances.�

Orion glared at them, �I don�t know what you�re talking about, I�m
perfectly able to distinguish when someone is interested in me.�

Calypso scoffed, �Sure, that�s why you didn�t notice that bunch of vapid
Beauxbatons girls looking at you, or the small group of giggling idiotic
Gryffindor girls fluttering their eyelashes while they glance at you.�

Orion frowned and looked around. He didn�t see any- ahh, there it was.
Yep, he had seen them. He turned and said sheepishly, �Well, they�re girls, of
course I didn�t notice. If any boy had taken an interest perhaps I would have-�

�Some boys have also-� retorted Calypso impatiently.

Lezander interrupted her sharply, �He doesn�t need to know of any boys
looking at him, thank you very much.�

�I do love it when you get jealous,� said Orion with a chuckle.

Lezander leaned forwards to purr something in his ear when Draco
interjected while casting a nasty look at Lezander, �Would you pass me that
Bouillabaisse, please?�

Orion nodded and handed him the large dish while Calypso looked
pointedly at him. Orion frowned at her trying to discern what she was trying to
convey and she just rolled her eyes to the ceiling muttering something about
dense boys. Orion shrugged his shoulders and renewed his interest on his food.

Once the golden plates had been wiped clean, Dumbledore stood up again.
A pleasant sort of tension seemed to fill the Hall now. Orion looked at the
teacher�s table and saw two people that had just arrived. He recognized them
instantly, one was Crouch Sr. and the other was the wizard that had spoken at
the Quidditch World Cup. He wondered what they were doing here.

"The moment has come," said Dumbledore, smiling around at the
sea of upturned faces. "The Triwizard Tournament is about to start. I
would like to say a few words of explanation before we bring in the casket just
to clarify the procedure that we will be following this year. But first, let me
introduce, for those who do not know them, Mr. Bartemius Crouch, Head of the
Department of International Magical Cooperation" � there was a smattering
of polite applause - "and Mr. Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of
Magical Games and Sports."

"Mr. Bagman and Mr. Crouch have worked tirelessly over the last few
months on the arrangements for the Triwizard Tournament," Dumbledore
continued, "and they will be joining myself, Professor Vagnarov � �Master
Vagnarov� murmured Calypso indignantly at the lack of respect for the dark
wizard�s title- , and Madame Maxime on the panel that will judge the champions'
efforts."

At the mention of the word "champions," the attentiveness of
the listening students seemed to sharpen. Dumbledore smiled as he said,
"The casket, then, if you please, Mr. Filch."

A nasty man, who had been lurking unnoticed in a far corner of the Hall,
now approached Dumbledore carrying a great wooden chest encrusted with jewels.
It looked extremely old. A murmur of excited interest rose from the watching
students.

"The instructions for the tasks the champions will face this year
have already been examined by Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman," said Dumbledore
as Filch placed the chest carefully on the table before him, "and they
have made the necessary arrangements for each challenge. There will be three
tasks, spaced throughout the school year, and they will test the champions in
many different ways... their magical prowess, their daring, their powers of
deduction, and, of course, their ability to cope with danger."

At this last word, the Hall was filled with a silence so absolute that
nobody seemed to be breathing.

"As you know, three champions compete in the tournament,"
Dumbledore went on calmly, "one from each of the participating schools.
They will be marked on how well they perform each of the Tournament tasks and
the champion with the highest total after task three will win the Triwizard
Cup. The champions will be chosen by an impartial selector: the Goblet of
Fire."

Dumbledore now took out his wand and tapped three times upon the top of
the casket. The lid creaked slowly open. Dumbledore reached inside it and
pulled out a large, roughly hewn wooden cup. It would have been entirely
unremarkable had it not been full to the brim with dancing blue-white flames.
Dumbledore closed the casket and placed the goblet carefully on top of it,
where it would be clearly visible to everyone in the Hall.

"Anybody wishing to submit themselves as champion must write their
name and school clearly upon a slip of parchment and drop it into the
goblet," said Dumbledore. "Aspiring champions have twenty-four hours
in which to put their names forward. Tomorrow night, Halloween, the goblet will
return the names of the three it has judged most worthy to represent their
schools. The goblet will be placed in the entrance hall tonight, where it will
be freely accessible to all those wishing to compete.

"To ensure that no underage student yields to temptation,"
said Dumbledore, "I will be drawing an Age Line around the Goblet of Fire
once it has been placed in the entrance hall. Nobody under the age of seventeen
will be able to cross this line,� then he added with a small smile, �with the
exception of Durmstrang students which have been given a special permission to
participate even if they�re underage.�

Outraged yells exploded through the Great Hall and Draco shot Orion a
furious look. Orion and the rest of the Durmstrang students sat stunned. They
hadn�t known that an exception had been made just for them. Orion had believed
that the fourteen years of age restriction would be even for all the schools.
Orion looked at Calypso unblinking and she seemed to be doing some fast
thinking. He saw Vagnarov smirking at the teacher�s table but he seemed a
little bit tense.

Calypso leaned towards him and said, �I think Headmaster Vagnarov tried
to make the fourteen year old restriction the same for everyone but perhaps
Dumbledore contravened at the last moment and decided to make Durmstrang the
exception, and by saying it aloud he has gained the upper hand with Master
Vagnarov, since all the other students will surely hate us for it and think
that Durmstrang is cheating or something.�

Orion nodded, that would make sense, it was all a political move to
desprestige one another and turn students against a dark school. Orion shot
Dumbledore a dark glare and the old coot finally silenced the loudly
complaining students.

�This is done for your safety. Now, I wish to impress upon any of you
wishing to compete that this tournament is not to be entered into lightly. Once
a champion has been selected by the Goblet of Fire, he or she is obliged to see
the tournament through to the end. The placing of your name in the goblet
constitutes a binding, magical contract. There can be no change of heart once
you have become a champion. Please be very sure, therefore, that you are
wholeheartedly prepared to play before you drop your name into the goblet. Now,
I think it is time for bed. Good night to you all."

Hogwarts� students seemed still very peeved at the whole situation and
Draco had risen quickly from the table. Orion grasped his arm to turn him
around and Draco snarled, �You told me that the fourteen-year-old restriction
would apply to Hogwarts as well!�

�I�m sorry, Draco,� said Orion softly while looking into Draco�s angry
silver eyes, �I truly believed it. I didn�t know it was only going to be
applied to-�

Draco violently withdrew his arm from Orion�s grasp and he said
furiously, �I trained during these two months for the Tournament after I
received your letter confirming the new age restriction. I even told my Father!
He expects me to become Hogwarts� champion and now I will have to disappoint
him and it�s all your fault!�

He spun around and stormed out of the Great Hall. Blaise, Theo and
Millicent gave Orion apologetic glances and followed Draco, while Pansy looked
at him under her nose with a smug smirk on her face.

Orion stood sadly looking at the direction in which Draco had left. He
knew very well how excited Draco had been and how much he longed to make Lucius
proud of him. It made him sorrowful that Draco had gained such expectations
just because he had given for granted that when Vagnarov told them about the
new age limit, he had thought that it would be the same for everyone. He felt
Lezander�s hand squeeze his shoulder.

Calypso said quietly, �Don�t worry Orion, he�ll come around. It�s hardly
your fault, everyone one of us came to the wrong conclusion and we don�t even
know when they made the change, it could have been a short while ago.�

He merely nodded his head and one of the Slytherin�s prefect escorted
them to their guest rooms in the dungeons.

While Krum and the other boys of the delegation were busily organizing
their clothes, Orion cast silencing spells around them and pulled Lezander
towards him and made him sit on his bed. No one paid them much attention, they
had been very open about their relationship at Durmstrang and they were one of
the steadiest couples at the school.

�What has you concerned, Lez?� asked Orion worriedly, �You have been
extremely quiet since we reached Hogwarts.�

Lezander looked at him and warily replied, �Orion, I�m a vampire in a
light school. Have you even considered that?�

Orion�s eyebrows shot upwards and he said shamefully, �I�m sorry, Lez.
It hadn�t even crossed my mind. Do you think someone will cause you
any�er�problems?�

Lezander shrugged his shoulders and said indifferently, �I can manage if
anyone complains-�

Orion clutched Lezander�s hand and said fiercely, �And I will hex anyone
who dares to say anything disrespectful towards you!�

�Thanks, my savior,� said Lezander mockingly, �I think I�m better at
protecting myself than you are at defending me. Really, you know that I�m
stronger than you are.�

Orion huffed, �Physically yes, but I�m wickedly good at casting dark
spells.�

�So am I,� said Lezander arrogantly.

Orion quirked a smile, �Never as good as me. Who beat you at the Dueling
Tournament, eh?�

�Conceited brat,� replied Lezander with a small smile. Then he turned
serious and said, �I don�t really expect much trouble. None of our schoolmates
is going to say that I�m a vampire, Headmaster Vagnarov made sure of that and
he assured me that it would be kept a secret. Not even Dumbledore knows.�

Orion looked at him wide-eyed and then smirked pleasantly, �Our
Headmaster is out-witting Dumbledore?�

�I believe he is,� said Lezander with a grin.

�But would it really be so bad if Dumbledore knew?� asked Orion
wondering what the old coot could possibly do against his boyfriend.

Lezander rose from the bed to pace in front of him, �Of course it would
be, he�s a light wizard through and through and he has never in his life
campaigned for any dark creature�s rights.�

Orion frowned and said, �But I think he has no prejudice against
werewolves. Though I think it�s in self-interest, not for any real ideological
reason.�

Lezander snorted and looked at him, �Of course it�s because it�s
convenient for him. Werewolves can be swayed into the war and he wants them at
his side. We vampires are much more independent and quite frankly, much more
dangerous and valuable as fighters. Dumbledore knows perfectly well we won�t
ever go to his side, the Light side has always showed us their contempt towards
us. They were the ones to hunt some of our clans to extinction. If he ever
suspected that I�m a vampire he could ask for my removal from school grounds or
even worse yet, he could try to manipulate me.�

�The removal might be a problem but Dumbledore couldn�t possibly
manipulate you into doing anything you don�t want to do, Lezander,� said Orion
sternly, �He�s not omniscient, you know. For Mordred�s sake, in a battle of
wits and wills I believe you would be the victor. And you have Master
Vagnarov�s support. He would stand by you against him and I�m sure he has
enough political clout to prevent Dumbledore from kicking you out of Hogwarts
if he ever found out.�

Lezander sat at his side and said quietly, �I know that I have Master
Vagnarov�s support, that�s why I came, because he adamantly refused to deprive
me of the experience just because of the bigotry of light wizards. And my
Father wanted me to come as well, to learn about the light wizards, to have a
dark creature that they despise under their very noses with them being none the
wiser-�

�I didn�t know that you had even contemplated not coming to Hogwarts,�
said Orion softly casting his eyes downwards, �I�m really a lousy boyfriend,
aren�t I? I always come to you with my problems but I didn�t even perceive that
you were going through all this shit-�

Lezander lifted Orion�s chin up and said with a small smile, �I like it
when you come to me with your problems. Don�t ever doubt that. And it was my
fault that you didn�t know. You had already so many things in your mind, I
didn�t want to add something else.�

Orion kissed him softly and then said against Lezander�s lips while
looking into his pale blue eyes, �I want you to tell me your troubles as well.
Don�t ever worry about me having too much on my mind, you�re a priority to me
and I want to be a support to you as much as you have always been one for me.�

Lezander gently kissed him back while softly caressing his hair. They
broke from the tender kiss and Lezander smiled at him roguishly, �Thanks, I
believe some of my worries have already flown out of my mind.�

Orion slapped him on his arm and said, �You idiot, I wish my kisses
would do the trick. I would be kissing you senseless all the time, then.�

�You, kissing me senseless?� said Lezander with an arched eyebrow, �I
believe I�m the one who kisses you until your mind becomes numb in this
relationship.�

Orion chuckled but then became serious, �Do you really think Dumbledore
could find out?�

�I don�t know. If I competed perhaps he would. My lack of injuries and
my physical strength could become suspicious,� said Lezander earnestly, �That�s
why I�m not submitting my name.�

�What?! No! That�s not fair to you!� said Orion indignantly.

�I know it isn�t, but it�s a small price to pay in order to remain in
the shadows,� retorted Lezander calmly.

Orion sighed in resignation, �I guess you�re right. But why did you come
then? If you knew from the start that you wouldn�t be entering in the
Tournament why did you leave Durmstrang?�

Lezander rolled his eyes, �To be with you, of course.�

Orion smiled warmly at him and Lezander continued with a wicked glint in
his eyes, �And to see what the other schools have to offer as well. I have
constantly heard Kara yapping about how exquisite the Beauxbatons boys are, why
would I deprive myself of the pleasure of seeing them? Or perhaps sampling
them?�

Orion lunged at Lezander and pinned him to the bed, �Jerk! And here I
was thinking about how wonderful you were.� He smirked at Lezander and said, �I
have seen a few interesting boys as well, you know? There�s one particular tall
Hufflepuff with a toned body and stunning smile-�

He couldn�t finish the sentence when Lezander abruptly reversed their
positions and aggressively kissed him. And Orion happily admitted to himself
that his mind did go numb on these wonderful occasions.

The next day was Saturday and Orion and the rest of the Durmstrang
delegation, with the exception of Lezander, submitted their names in the
morning. They had just gone in when the Weasley twins came out of the door
laughing at each other�s ridiculously long beards. The Red Bumbling Buffoon, as
Orion had taken to call Ronald Weasley, had scowled at him when they had
crossed paths. He had heard him jeering at him and saying something about his
father but Lezander had calmly pushed Orion forwards to ignore the jibes.

Draco was still giving him the cold shoulder but Blaise and Millicent
seemed to be fed up with his attitude and had taken Lezander, Orion and Calypso
through a tour around the castle and grounds.

They had a very pleasant day and Orion had plenty of ammunition for his
verbal spats after seeing the Buffoon drooling after a beautiful Beauxbatons
girl which seemed to entice quite a lot of boys. Orion was fairly certain that
she must have some Veela blood in her to get that mindless reaction from the male
half of the population while getting angry and vexed glares from the female
half.

Vagnarov called them to their ship to have a few last words with them
before the Halloween Feast and the announcement of the Champions. They entered
the Great Hall, walking behind Vagnarov in a disciplined formation, proudly
wearing their uniforms. When they entered the candlelit Great Hall it was
almost full. The Goblet of Fire had been moved; it was now standing in front of
Dumbledore's chair at the teachers' table. They sat at the Slytherin table and
everybody seemed to be eating in a hurry, as if the sooner they got through it
the sooner they would know who the Champions were. Draco completely ignored
Orion and concentrated on eviscerating his filet mignon. After several attempts
to speak to him throughout the day, Orion had finally given up and was content
to simply ignore him until he came around his tantrum.

At long last, the feast ended and the golden plates returned to their
original spotless state; there was a sharp upswing in the level of noise within
the Hall, which died away almost instantly as Dumbledore got to his feet. On
either side of him, Master Vagnarov and Madame Maxime looked as tense and
expectant as anyone. Ludo Bagman was beaming and winking at various students.
Crouch, however, looked quite uninterested, almost bored.

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

He took out his wand and gave a great sweeping wave with it; at once,
all the candles except those inside the carved pumpkins were extinguished,
plunging them into a state of semidarkness. The Goblet of Fire now shone more
brightly than anything in the whole Hall, the sparkling bright, bluey-whiteness
of the flames almost painful on the eyes. Everyone watched, waiting. . . . A
few people kept checking their watches. . .

"Any second now," Calypso whispered besides Orion.

Orion turned towards Krum offering him his hand while saying,
�Good-luck, Viktor.�

Viktor shook his hand and replied, �Thank you, good-luck to you too. Let
the best vizard vin.�

�And witch,� added Orion giving Calypso an encouraging hug.

Calypso smiled brightly at him but she seemed to be a bundle of nerves.

The flames inside the goblet turned suddenly red. Sparks began to fly
from it. Next moment, a tongue of flame shot into the air, a charred piece of
parchment fluttered out of it, the whole room gasped. Dumbledore caught the
piece of parchment and held it at arm's length, so that he could read it by the
light of the flames, which had turned back to blue-white.

"The champion for Beauxbatons," he read, in a strong, clear
voice, "will be Fleur Delacour!"

There were loud claps from many of the boys and some whistle calls. The
Buffoon was clapping madly while wearing a foolish grin on his face. Some of
the Beauxbatons girls broke into sobs as the girl who so resembled a Veela got
gracefully to her feet, shook back her sheet of silvery blonde hair, and swept
up between the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables.

When Fleur Delacour had vanished into the side chamber, silence fell
again, but this time it was a silence so stiff with excitement you could almost
taste it.

And the Goblet of Fire turned red once more; sparks showered out of it;
the tongue of flame shot high into the air, and from its tip Dumbledore pulled
the second piece of parchment.

"The Hogwarts champion," he called, "is Cedric
Diggory!"

The uproar from the Hufflepuff table was too great. Every single
Hufflepuff had jumped to his or her feet, screaming and stamping, as Cedric
made his way past them, grinning broadly, and headed off toward the chamber
behind the teachers' table.

The Gryffindors seemed sullen and didn�t applaud. Orion saw one bushy
haired girl clapping avidly amongst them. The Red Buffoon seemed to be glaring
at her but she ignored him completely and got some of those around her to clap
as well.

Krum turned to Blaise and asked, �Who is her?�

�Ah, that�s Granger,� replied Blaise calmly.

Orion arched an eyebrow, �The highly intelligent muggleborn?�

Draco snorted and said moodily to no one in particular, �More like the
nosey unbearable know-it-all mudblood.�

Krum shot him a glare and Orion ignored Draco and asked in curiosity,
�She doesn�t get along with the Weasley Idiot?�

Blaise smirked, �None at all. I dare say she has more sense than any
Gryffindor I have ever met. They have hated each other since first year when
the Weasel taunted her for being an annoying bookworm. Anyway, anyone is a
bookworm when compared to that moron.�

�Who are her friends?� asked Orion and Draco shot him a look.

�She gets along mildly well with the Gryffindors except with Weasel�s
mates. She has more friends in Ravenclaw though she seems to spend much of her
time helping Longbottom after class or at the library,� replied Blaise.

Longbottom�Neville�remembered Orion. He quickly asked Blaise to indicate
where he was and he saw a quiet nervous boy sitting by Granger�s side. So he is
possibly the other one�if my suspicions are correct�

Draco interrupted his musings when he snidely said, �What? Interested in
mudbloods as well, now? Not happy enough with your half-breed?�

Lezander stiffened by his side and Orion turned angrily towards Draco
and hissed furiously, �Don�t you dare insult my boyfriend, Draco! I don�t know
what stick you have up your-�

His angry words were swallowed when Dumbledore called out loudly, �And
Durmstrang�s champion is Orion Sirius Black.�

All the students at the other tables except Slytherin�s seemed to
freeze. Krum clapped him on the back and congratulated him. Lezander gave him a
prideful smile and Calypso shrieked in excitement and tightly hugged him while
some of the Slytherins and his Durmstrang fellows clapped loudly and cheered
for him.

Orion straightened his back and as he passed along the tables he heard
fearful murmurs�.�Sirius Black�s son�Death Eater�deserved the Kiss�.the
murderer�the Potter�s betrayer�he�s dark as well�.�

He didn�t let any of it bother him and simply smirked at some of the
students while he confidently strode along the tables. As he passed the
teacher�s table Dumbledore pierced him with narrowed blue eyes and Snape looked
at him as if he were a flubberworm under his shoe. Orion nastily smirked at
them both and continued towards his Headmaster. Vagnarov looked extremely
pleased and said quietly to him, �Well done, Orion. I�m sure you�ll make
Durmstrang proud.�

Orion smiled at him and said, �Thank you Headmaster, I�ll do my best.�

Vagnarov patted him on the back and Orion descended the stairs towards
the chamber where the other champions were waiting.

He found himself in a smaller room, lined with paintings of witches and
wizards, and filled with cups and prizes. A handsome fire was roaring in the
fireplace opposite him and Cedric Diggory and Fleur Delacour were grouped around
the fire. Cedric was standing with his hands behind his back, staring into the
fire. Fleur Delacour looked around when Orion walked in and threw back her
sheet of long, silvery hair.

�You�re Durmstrang�s champion?� she said, �I was sure zat Krum would be
the one.�

Orion looked at her and said calmly, �No, it was me in the end.� He
smiled charmingly at her while thinking in amusement that he could use some of
Lez�s charming ways to ingratiate himself with the Veela. Surely allies in the
Tournament could come in handy. He took her hand gallantly while placing a soft
kiss on it and said, �Orion Black, pleased to meet you.�

Fleur looked at him with a raised pale eyebrow and her lips quirked into
an amused smile, �Fleur Delacour, enchanted.�

Orion chuckled; an ironic use of the word for a Veela. He turned around
and faced Cedric who was looking at them. Cedric shook his hand while saying,
�Cedric Diggory, nice to meet you.�

�Likewise,� replied Orion, �You�re the Hufflepuff seeker, right?�

Cedric looked startled and Orion added, �I have heard that you�re pretty
good. I like Quidditch myself and prefer the seeker position too.�

Cedric smiled at him and replied, �Yes, I am. We should play a match one
of these days.�

Orion nodded and said, �That would be fun.�

The three of them were startled when they heard loud noises coming
through the door. It seemed as if the Great Hall was in an uproar. Curious,
considering it had been absolutely silent just a moment ago.

They heard uncertain footsteps and a nervous boy came from the stairs
and looked at them with a dismal expression on his face.

Orion recognized him but was utterly perplexed as to the reason why he
was here.

Fleur looked at the boy and asked impatiently, �What is it? Do zey want
us back in ze Hall?"

He shuffled his feet and stuttered, �N-no. I-I was...� He gulped and
seemed unable to utter anything else. The poor boy seemed to be on the edged of
having a nervous breakdown.

Fleur had an exasperated look on her face and Cedric merely waited for
the boy to say something more. Then there was a sound of scurrying feet and
Ludo Bagman entered the room.

He took the boy by the arm and led him forward.
"Extraordinary!" Bagman muttered, "Absolutely extraordinary!
Gentlemen. . . lady," he added, approaching the fireside and addressing
them. "May I introduce, incredible though it may seem, the fourth
Triwizard champion?" He beamed at them as if he were enjoying a great show
and said while pushing the boy to the front, �Neville Longbottom!�
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The Black Heir