HP: god of potions

Chapter 60

As the Goblet room buzzed with laughter and cheers, the atmosphere turned solemn as Viktor Krum entered, exuding an aura of quiet intensity. He strode confidently to the Goblet and placed his name inside, earning a shy smile from Hermione. The following Thursday night brought heightened anticipation as students packed the room for the champions' selection. Dumbledore's voice resonated with authority. "The Durmstrang champion is... Viktor Krum!" Applause erupted, followed by the announcement of Fleur Delacour for Beauxbatons and Cedric Diggory for Hogwarts. But as the crowd's excitement began to settle, the Goblet glowed once more, ejecting a fourth name. Dumbledore's voice faltered as he read it aloud. "Gray Knight." The room fell into stunned silence. "Hhhh, we are going to win this champion," yelled Jamal, as the Hogwarts students erupted in cheers, drawing Viktor Krum's curious glance as he walked up to Jamal, meanwhile gray was confused for an entire minute.

-scene change-

Gray walked into a secluded room, confused. The other champions were in a different room. The door slammed open as Dumbledore stormed in, his eyes ablaze with suspicion. "Gray! Did you put your name in the Goblet of Fire?" he demanded, gripping Gray's shoulders. "The who fire?" Gray asked, making Dumbledore more suspicious. "Don't pretend! I am talking about the Goblet. Did you ask an older student to do it for you?" Dumbledore pressed. "I am confused. What has happened?" Gray asked, removing Dumbledore's hands. Madame Maxime's towering figure loomed as she interjected, "Well, of course, he is lying." But Mad-Eye stepped forward, his magical eye whirring. "The hell he is," he growled. "The Goblet's magic is far beyond a fourth year's capability." Tensions mounted as Karkaroff sneered, "You seem to have given this some thought, Mad-Eye." The Auror's voice was sharp. "It was my job to think like dark wizards, Karkaroff. Perhaps you remember?" Dumbledore cut through the rising argument. "Enough! Barty, the decision lies with you." Barty Crouch's verdict was unyielding. "The rules are absolute. The Goblet of Fire constitutes a binding magical contract. Mr. Knight has no choice. He is, as of tonight, a Triwizard Champion."

Gray spoke again. "What the hell is this Goblet of Fire, and why is my name written in it? What is this Triwizard Tournament?" Dumbledore looked at him sternly. "Were you not paying attention during the assembly?" Gray sighed. "I had some notes to look over, okay? And whatever this tournament thing is, it sounds like a sport, and I am not a fan of sports. So why don't you just cross out my name and be done with it?" Moody replied, "Didn't you hear what I said? The rules are absolute. Since your name is written in the Goblet of Fire, you must participate in it." Gray retorted.

 "Then who wrote my name in it? I clearly have no intention of participating, nor do I care for this tournament." he said aloud when he remembered something, as He thought for a moment. "Did those Merlin bastards finally make their move? This makes sense now," he sighed. "You know what, it's fine anyway. I'll just not try to win." As he turned around, Viktor scoffed, "And disgrace Hogwarts." Dumbledore interjected as Gray smiled suddenly. "What is the reward for the champion?" he asked. Moody replied, "A shiny trophy and 1,000 galleons." Gray lost interest immediately. "So, nothing. Good. Then Hogwarts will just score last." Dumbledore, messaging the bridge of his nose, stopped him. "What is it that you require to win?" gray stopped for a second as a wide grin found its place onto his face as he took out a test tube.

"I happen to be in need of some phoenix tears, and it just so happens that, Professor, you possess one," Gray said, handing the tube to Dumbledore, who eyed it suspiciously before saying, "This was your goal from the very beginning, wasn't it?" Gray replied, "I have no idea what you are talking about," with a smile. Dumbledore sighed and took the tube. "Fine," he sighted, and Gray added, "Well, then consider Hogwarts to be the winner of this, eh, Triwizard Tournament, yeah" This comment made Viktor Krum scoff as he walked toward Gray and attempted to shove his shoulder, but the moment he did, he fell back while Gray remained rooted. "Oh, how fragile. You might want to withdraw from the tournament. I heard it's going to be dangerous or something along he lines," Gray said, smiling at Viktor, who fell flat on his back before Gray walked away as dumbledore said, "i though you werent paying attention."

-scene change-

In the dimly lit tower room, the tension was palpable. McGonagall's voice was sharp as she addressed Dumbledore, "This can't go on, Albus. First the Dark Mark, now this?" Dumbledore's calm reply barely softened her frustration. "What do you suggest, Minerva?" he asked. She shot back, "Put an end to it. Don't let Gray compete, he might be strong but he still a kid" However, Dumbledore reminded her of Barty's unyielding rules. "To the devil with Barty and his rules," she retorted heatedly. Severus interjected, his tone measured. "Headmaster, I too find it difficult to believe this is mere coincidence. Perhaps we should let events unfold to understand their meaning. Plus, it's Gray Knight we're talking about. You promised to give him a test tube full of phoenix tears, you might as well Consider this tournament won." McGonagall's indignation flared. "This is a mistake." But Dumbledore sided with Severus and turned to Alastor Moody. "Keep an eye on Gray, will you?" Moody gruffly agreed, "I can do that."

-scene change-

At Hogwarts, amidst the bustling crowd, a puff of smoke heralded the arrival of a vibrant, well-dressed woman. "What a charismatic quartet," Rita Skeeter cooed, striding towards the Triwizard champions. She greeted them with calculated charm before zeroing in on Gray. "I'm Rita Skeeter, Daily Prophet. But of course, you know that and dispite us knowing about you, i was wondering. What makes a champion tick? Shall we start with the youngest?" Without waiting for consent, she whisked Gray into a cramped broom cupboard, which he allowed. "This is cozy," she remarked. Gray frowned, looking around. "It's a broom cupboard," he replied. Rita smiled, unperturbed.

"You should feel right at home, you know, given you're an orphan,i heard orphanages dont have the bestest of rooms" she continued. Her enchanted quill hovered eagerly as she began. "So, Gray, here you sit, a man of 20..." "Fourteen," Gray corrected her. Rita ignored him, pressing on with her narrative, painting him as a reckless underdog. "Do you think it was your need for fame and the need to sell your potions that made you keen to enter such a dangerous tournament?" Gray smiled firmly. "I didn't need this tournament to sell it to you now, did I?" Rita retorted, "And what makes you think I'm wearing your potion instead of my own makeup?" Gray chuckled. "Please, I'm a potioneer. I can smell potions, especially if they're mine." Her quill scratched furiously as she continued. "Is it true that the potions at Hogwarts last longer than the ones sold outside?" Gray replied, "Of course. I made these potions, after all." Rita looked at him for a moment, smiled, and quickly jotted down his words. "Well, if you'll excuse me, I've got some places I need to be," Gray said before getting up and leaving.

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A/N i know that dumbedore wouldn't discussed this with gray in front of the other school but i wanted them there, not for the plot or anything, just because. also yeah, you can bribe gray to do basically anything(not everything) so yeah, his mortal line is a bit........GRAY.