They Said It Shouldn't Be

The Great Hall was always a favourite place of Harry Potter's. He loved how there were candles that floated just above each of the five tables in the room, the ceiling that changed according to the weather outside, and all the piles of food each student had to choose from. He enjoyed sitting there among his friends and chatting about school and what each of them did, since most went on trips or did something magical. All except Harry.

But this year was different. There seemed to be less students, or more tables, in The Great Hall. There was an odd object setting in front of Professor Albus Dumbledore. He was staring at it, a mysterious smile set on his wrinkled face, like an old grandfather admiring a collection he'd had for years.

Harry continued to look around the hall, watching all the students settle down before the start of the feast. He noticed a face he had seen only in The Daily Prophet, a wizard newspaper with moving pictures. Barty Crouch Sr.

Harry wondered on this before he sat down next to Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. "What's he doing here?" He asked, nodding towards the man standing beside the odd statue.

"Crouch? We were just wondering that ourselves." Hermione piped up. She had an opened book laying in front of her with her hands on either side of it, as though she were afraid somebody would take it from her.

Harry look over at Ron, the pale-faced Ginger, and asked, "your dad say anything about it?"

Ron looked over at him and shrugged his shoulders. "No, maybe he didn't know."

The three sat in silence as the rest of the hall slowly began to quiet down.

The Sorting Hat was brought out, an old, magical hat that would sort new students into one of the four houses. Harry remembered all too well his first year. How the hat wanted to put him into Slytherin but Harry begged it, saying 'Gryffindor, not Slytherin.' And in his second year when he found the hat and it saying how he belonged in Slytherin more than Gryffindor, and Harry still argued with it then.

The hat broke out into song, breaking Harry from his thoughts.

A thousand years or more ago,
When I was newly sewn,
There lived four wizards of renown,
Whose names are still well known:
Bold Gryffindor, from wild moor,
Fair Ravenclaw, from glen,
Sweet Hufflepuff, from valley broad,
Shrewd Slytherin, from fen.
They shared a wish, a hope, a dream,
They hatched a daring plan
To educate young sorcerers
Thus Hogwarts School began.
Now each of these four founders
Formed their own house, for each
Did value different virtues
In the ones they had to teach.
By Gryffindor, the bravest were
Prized far beyond the rest;
For Ravenclaw, the cleverest
Would always be the best;
For Hufflepuff, hard workers were
Most worthy of admission;
And power-hungry Slytherin
Loved those of great ambition.
While still alive they did divide
Their favourites from the throng,
Yet how to pick the worthy ones
When they were dead and gone?
'Twas Gryffindor who found the way,
He whipped me off his head
The founders put some brains in me
So I could choose instead!
Now slip me snug about your ears,
I've never yet been wrong,
I'll have a look inside your mind
And tell where you belong!

Once the sorting was over, the Sorting Hat was taken back to it's place in the Headmaster's office where it would sit another year, coming up with a new song about the four houses and their founders.

Harry caught himself looking over at the Slytherin table. Scanning it, taking in all the faces he saw. He didn't linger too long on any one face, that is until he saw a pale, blue eyed, blonde hair boy staring back at him. Draco Malfoy had been watching him. The two shared eye contact for a few seconds, staring into each others soul, or so it felt.

"Girls and boys, I would like to have a word with you before the feast!" The headmaster stood up from his chair, causing the two boys to drop the stare and look up at him. Harry, realizing what they had just been doing, tried to think of what it meant. "This year we have something exciting happening to Hogwarts. Two other schools of Wizardry are arriving here this evening. They will be joining us for a special task, a task that hasn't taken place in many years. We've decided, under very strict rules, to host the Triwizard Tournament!"

Gasps and shouts started through-out the hall as Crouch stood up and took Dumbledore's place next to the object. "We are pleased to welcome the following schools; Beauxbatons Academy of Magic Headmistress: Madame Olympe Maxime."

Suddenly the doors flew open. Harry's eyes shifted from Barty Crouch to two rows of girls wearing light blue, skin-tight dresses running in. Behind them, girls in light blue, skin-tight leotards were dancing in. They all had such beautiful frames. Harry couldn't help but stare as they ran pass, watching their backside as they ran to the front.

"Bloody hell! That's a huge woman!" Seamus Finnigan, a fellow Gryffindor, shouted.

Harry looked at the door were a giant of a woman was ducking to enter. She had on a very purple-y pink dress with fur hanging around the neck line. She was smiling and waving around as two girls, barely as tall as one of her legs, walked in front of her.

Dumbledore raised a hand after the girls had stopped dancing around in front of them all and gestured around the room. "Ladies, find a place and have a seat. You are welcome to sit anywhere you'd fancy. Next, help me in welcoming the Durmstrang Institute. Headmaster: Igor Karkaroff."

One loud thump and everyone of them jumped. Attentions turned to the door, a man stood there, wearing black and red. He held a stick with the tip caught on fire. He muttered something to himself then ran down the line, hopping and jumping with the stick in hand. Rows of guys followed, holding sticks and banging them against the ground.

The whole hall watched in awe, watching flames going everywhere, the girls completely fixed on the guys. Harry watched as Ron rolled his eyes while Hermione stared longingly at one of the men.

Then he came in. What Harry assumed had been Igor. Only he was surprised to see somebody he knew, Viktor Krum stepping in line with him. Wearing big furry coats of red and silly furry hats. They walked behind the stick men and stopped when a huge red, fire dragon shot out of one of the sticks. It roared to life, letting it's presence known.

They broke out into claps as Dumebledor shouted for them to sit anywhere they'd like. When the claps died, Barty stepped up. "Welcome one, welcome all. Thank you for these two schools to let us host this competition. For those of you whom don't know, the Triwizard Tournament is a competition for three champions. One from each of the wizarding schools. There will be three tasks in which you need to complete to win--"

"They brought it back?" Ron muttered.

Hermione gave him a look. "Brought it back?"

"They banned the schools from having the Triwzard Tournament because so many people were dying during them. I heard last time it was brutal." Ron shook his head, watching his silverware.

Hermione and Harry shared a glance before looking back at at Barty, whom was now explaining the rules.

Although Harry wasn't listening. He caught himself glancing over at the Slytherins, one staring back.