River jolted awake from a snowy white owl sitting on his chest. He blinked as the green eyes of the owl pierced into his. In its beak was a small letter in emerald ink.

  To River Grimes

  Third Bed In The Thunderbird Towers Second Year Dorms

  He reached up, pulled the letter from the owl, and strained his eyes to read the letter in the dark room.

  Dear River Grimes,

  Pan asked me to help you defend against Dementors. I gladly accepted. Please come to the edge of the woods right now, for our first lesson.

  P.S. Please scratch her chin.

  River flipped the letter over, and it was blank. He tossed it on a pile of parchment that he had tossed aside, from graded tests and homework. He reached up and scratched the owl's chin. The owl closed her eyes and leaned into the scratches. Once it was satisfied, it flapped its wings and flew out of the window. River checked the time; it was midnight.

  He got out of bed and threw on his normal clothes. Noticed the Salem Witchtrials shirt he put on, then promptly threw on a different one. Then he left the dorm room.

  Luckily, no one was in the common room, and he quickly passed the statue of Chadwick Boot and started sneaking down the halls to find not a single person. He walked out of the school and was facing the grounds. But there was a new problem.

  Two large camps of tents, now spaced out, sat in the open ground. Pink tents gathered in a camp near the Quidditch Pitch. And the large camp of Hogwarts, with white tents scattered around by the lake. Leaving barely any way through to the forest.

  River then got an idea. He needed to be fast and a shadow. So he turned into his Animagus form. A large pure black wolf with purple eyes as his mark. Not only was he fast in his wolf form. He was nearly impossible to see at night. And can smell, hear and sense any humans within a mile. So he began to run. His large paws beat the ground as he quickly caught speed.

  A tent opened up from the Mahoutokoro side, River quickly banked towards the Hogwarts side. Only to actually run into the boy Moon left River for. He fell to his back, in his pajamas, his face pale and full of fear. River senses a chance to get back at him. He began to slowly walk up to him, while growling and showing all of his razor-sharp teeth.

  “What’s going on out there?” someone in the tent said. River quickly turned and sprinted away to the woods, vanishing from his sight in an instant. Feeling slightly better about his whole…thing… with Moon.

  River got to the edge of the forest and stopped. He sniffed, but couldn’t smell any humans, at least not in the forest. He could smell some horses… men… men horses? Not fully human or fully man. A few rodents and a large deer. Nothing else anywhere near him.

  Then the deer began to walk closer to him; it stepped out from behind the bushes. It was a large stag. They stared at each other for a few seconds. This deer smelled… off… to River. Somewhat familiar.

  Then all of a sudden, the deer stood up on its hind legs and morphed into Harry Potter. “Phew…” he messed with his hair. “For a second, I thought I was a goner. Come out, River.”

  River transformed back into his normal self. “How did you know it was me? And you are an Animagus too?”

  “'Cause I’m smart,” Harry said. “Pan told me…. and I decided I wanted to be closer to my father, so I followed his footsteps and became one. Took me a while. I heard you did it in months?”

  “Well, my friend Archie did it all; I was just lucky enough to do it with him,” River said. “I’m a wolf, he’s a fox, and our friend Murphy is an Eagle.”

  “That’s a great combo,” Harry smiled. “So, you ready, Freddy?”

  “We’re doing this here?” River asked.

  “Why not?” Harry said.

  “Well, it’s the Black Forest. Dangerous stuff is out here,” River said.

  “Well, River, there are dangerous things out here, but I’m sure you can protect me,” he winked. “Wand out, River.” he pulled his wand out.

  “Ok…” River pulled his wand out.

  “Now, listen up. Dementors are nasty creatures that like to feed off your being miserable. They used to affect me just like you, but someone great taught me how to defend myself. Expecto Patronum. Have you heard this name before?”

  “No,” River shook his head.

  “The Patronus Charm is one of the most difficult and powerful defensive spells you can learn. It took me months, and often left me passed out on the floor,” Harry said. “But once you get it, it will take the form of an animal that mostly describes you as a soul. Mine is a stag, the same as my Animagi form. And I’m very curious to see how you perform.”

  “How do I do it?” asked River.

  “Well, first, you need to think of the happiest memory you have,” Harry said. “The happiest you’ve ever been in your life. Then, when you feel all warm and fluffy inside. You swirl your wand like this, and… Expecto Patronum,”

  A silver whisp shot from Harry’s wand and fell to the ground. Before it landed, it took the form of the large, transparent, glowing-blue stag. It was like a ghost, but it lit the small clearing they were standing in. The ghostly deer looked around, its ghostly eyes locked onto River. Harry reached out and patted the snout of the deer, then it vanished back into the darkness.

  “That’s what a successful Patronus looks like. Now you Patronus form could be different from mine. I’ve seen a Phoenix, a swan, a Jack Russell Terrier, and my wife has an Otter. They usually take the form of what’s inside of you. Mine, a stag, comes from my leadership and deep connection to family. While my wife’s Otter comes from her intelligence and loyalty.”

  “So mine would come from my pure awesomeness and handsomeness,” River said.

  Harry laughed, “Well, nothing wrong with being cocky. You just need to back it up. Let’s begin. Think of the happiest memory in your life, and once you have it. Cast it.”

  River closed his eyes, racking his brain. At first, his heart sank; no happy memories came to mind. He racked his brain, over and over, growing more scared with each second. Then just as fast, Pan’s face formed in his mind. The memory of her telling him he was a wizard popped up. Then the day he won the Quidditch Cup. He felt at home, loved and like he finally found a place to belong. Once his stomach was buzzing, “Expecto Patronum,” River swirled his wand.

  He was sent to his back, and his eyes closed from the force. There was an intense brightness and a gust of wind that nearly pushed River’s supine body into the bushes. Then it was suddenly gone.

  River sat up and opened his eyes. It took a second to adjust back to the darkness, and he scanned the area, but got confused. “Mr. Potter?” River asked. “Mr. Potter? Harry?

  Harry picked his head up from behind a bush, looking windblown and slightly pale.

  River felt bad, “Did I accidentally blow you up?” Dang it! I can’t believe that happened again!” River stood up and began looking for his wand.

  “You blow things up a lot?” Harry asked, stepping out of the bush, patting leaves off of his robes and hair. “But no, you didn’t blow me up… actually… You did the spell. First try… Pan said you were powerful… didn’t expect it to be that powerful.”

  “Wait?” River said. “I did it? The Patronus thing?”

  “Yes,” Harry nodded.

  “What did it look like?” River asked excitedly, picking his wand out from a bush.

  “I have to say… that gave me the start of my life,” Harry said, feeling his chest. “Too old to get scared like that.”

  River looked at him, “What was it?”

  “A dragon,” Harry smiled.

  “A… what?” River asked.

  “The Hungarian Horned Tail, to be exact,” Harry said. “I have to say, did not enjoy being on the business end of that dragon again.” He flicked a stick from his hair. “A life-sized dragon shooting out of your wand was definitely frightening. You have a powerful Patronus. I’m not sure what the Horned Tail means; I’ll have to look into it. By that I mean ask my wife.” He smiled. “Well, it’s late. And my heart can’t take another go around. So let’s call it, I’ll send you another letter when we meet next. I trust you can make it back safely?”

  “Yeah, I can, goodnight, Mr. Potter,” River smiled.

  “Please, call me Harry,” Harry said with a smile. “Goodnight, River,” he waved and shifted into the stag again.

  “Goodnight, Harry,” River waved, shifted to a wolf and made his way back to school.

  As he was passing the Great Hall, he saw the door ajar. He shifted back to River and peeked in the door. Where he saw Cyrus Graves standing inside the age line, reaching up and dropping a slip of paper in. River wanted nothing more than to burst in and beat him up. But he’d also have to answer why he was out of bed in street clothes, past midnight. So he turned and ran out back to the Thunderbird Common Room. He quickly said the password and jumped through the tunnel. He shifted back to being a wolf and sprinted up the spiral stairs all the way to the top and burst through the door. Pan was lying in bed, snoring badly.

  He jumped on her bed, standing over her, his snout an inch from her face. Her eyes fluttered open, then went wide in horror. “Merlin's sake!” she shouted. “River!” she flicked his snout. He transformed back to himself in a rush. Forgetting to get off the bed, he body slammed her. “Ow damn it!”

  “Mom!” He shouted, and they ended up tangled, wrestling to untangle themselves. Pan eventually kicks River out of the bed; River lands with a heavy thud on the floor.

  “Uh… Professor Palmer, are you ok?” Nick Hollows, the Thunderbird boy Prefect was standing at the open door.

  “I’m fine!” Pan said, kicking off her blanket. “Just about to murder my son, if you don’t want to be a witness, go back to bed!”

  “Uh… goodnight,” Nick quickly walks off.

  “You better have a damn good reason for my heart attack!” Pan grabbed his shirt and lifted him easily into the air, pure fury in her eyes.

  “I saw Cyrus Graves putting a name in the Goblet of Fire!” River quickly shouted. Pan instantly changed.

  “When?”

  “Just now, a few minutes ago, I was coming back from meeting Harry and—” Pan pulled River and led him out of the Thunderbird house. They rushed to the Great Hall, the door still ajar, and they burst in, but it was empty. “Turn into a wolf and smell for him.” She ordered.

  River quickly formed into a wolf and started to sniff around the room. Finding the rotten smell of the snake, Cyrus goes from the Goblet and out of the side door. He followed it, and Pan followed him. They stepped outside and followed the trail down the stone stairs to the docks. Where the trail ends at the water, he shifted back. “It’s gone.”

  “Damn it!” She growled. “Whose name did he put in?” she asked herself.

  “I don’t know,” River answered. Then he noticed a notebook on the ground, he picked it up and saw it belonged to Arther Graves. He held it up. She took it, found a torn-out page, left a small hole big enough to write a name on, then tossed it into the Goblet.

  She sighed, “I don’t know who he put in. But we can do nothing now, just hope he is too stupid to learn how to trick it. That’s some powerful magic in that cup.” She turned to look at him. “How did your first lesson go?”

  “I nearly killed Harry,” River said.

  “Did you blow him up?”

  “No!” he said angrily. “I managed to do it first try. He just didn’t expect a Hungarian Horned Tail to come out of my wand.”

  “A what!” Pan said. “Your Patronus is a Horned Tail? Merlin's thong… Yeah, I’d freak out too.” She quickly smacked the side of his head. “That’s for waking me up with a stupid wolf's face. If you do that again, I’ll pin you down and shave your stupid wolf's body!”

  “Sorry, Mom,” River said.

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  “Come on, let’s go back to the dorm,” Pan said. They started to walk back.

  “Do you think Cyrus put my name in the Goblet?” River asked.

  “No,” Pan said so firmly, taking River aback. “I mean, I’m sure he didn’t. They want you alive, not killed. And you’d die in the first task.”

  “Well, thanks…” River rolled his eyes, not bringing it up again.

  The next morning was eventful; many people put their names in. The Princess came in and slowly walked up to the cup, with her followers behind her. She got on her tiptoes and slipped her paper slip in. Then so did her followers. River noticed that all of the Mahoutokoro students used pink parchment.

  Throughout breakfast, Mahoutokoro and Hogwarts students got up to cheers from their schools and tossed their names in. So far, not a single Ilvermorny student has gotten up.

  Until cheering erupted from the Horned Serpent table, Bon Sweet got up from his spot, and cheers from every table broke out once they saw him. River started clapping and cheering. Bon jumped through the age line, and nothing happened. He smiled and tossed his name into the cup.

  “Check this out,” Lemon and Cherry got up.

  “What are you doing?” Archie asked.

  “Earning external glory, brother,” Cherry smirked. The entire hall watched them as they reached the age line. They linked arms, and both drank some sort of potion. They counted on their fingers to five, then jumped into the age line. They looked at each other, then cheered.

  “Can’t believe it worked…” Archie said.

  “What are you morons doing!” Bon said.

  “Glory, brother,” Cherry said.

  “Money, brother!” Lemon said.

  “Ok then, morons, go and put your names in,” Bon smirked.

  Lemon and Cherry are older than River and Archie, but haven’t had their growth spurts yet. River and Archie were both taller than the twins. They looked up to the cup, and it dawned on them. Their cocky smiles fell.

  Lemon reached up as high as he could on his tippy toes. But couldn’t even reach the bottom of the cup. “Lift me!” Cherry quickly bent down and lifted Lemon into the air, but as soon as he was high enough. The cup raised higher. “What the—hey, get back here!” he stretched higher, the cup rose higher. Laughter began to ring out in the hall. “Lift me higher!”

  “I’m trying!” Cherry yelled.

  “One more inch!” Lemon lunched up and grabbed the rim of the cup. “Yes!” he pulled himself up, and right when his name was about to fall in. A flash of blue flame washed down his arm, down his body, and connected to Cherry, who panicked. Cherry fell, dropping Lemon. They rolled around yelling until there was nothing but a pile of steaming clothes.

  Everyone looked at them curiously, wondering where the heck they had vanished to.

  Soot walked up, “Ah, Lemon and Cherry. While I am impressed you managed to pass my age line. But you weren’t going to pass the Goblet.” He chuckled and picked up one of their robes, bent over and lifted two identical babies with a single tuff of brown hair. The girls in the hall immediately gushed at the cute babies. While everyone else nearly died laughing.

  “Aunty, can you take these two to the medical wing, and get them a bottle of milk, and maybe a diaper change?” He passed the two babies to Aunty, the school's nurse.

  A large lady from the south came up, “Ah, such cute little babes, shame what malicious monsters they grow up to be. They’ll be normal by morning. Come now, child, let Aunty take care of you.” She walked out to gales of laughter from everyone else.

  After everything had settled down, a few more people added their names. Dan Rose, River’s Keeper, put his name in, along with Aspen and Robin. And Tad Pepper.

  “Sucks to be you, River. You may have gotten popular for not dying, but you’ll be nothing this year. Should have joined the Quadpot team, I would have put your name in,” he laughed and put his name in the Goblet.

  Throughout breakfast, at least 100 people got up to put their names in; the cheering never stopped. Until Oni Kage walked up. Mahoutokoro went silent. Ilvermorny went quiet because he ruined the USA’s chance in the World Cup. Hogwarts, sensing the situation, stopped cheering too.

  He walked up in his golden robes, through the line and put his name in without hesitation. As soon as his slip entered the fire, he was already walking out of the Great Hall.

  “Hey Sora-Chan, what’s his deal?” River asked Sora, who was sitting by him again.

  She sighed, “His only crime was being from the Kage Clan.”

  “What’s wrong with them?” asked River.

  “They are the worst of the worst of the Japanese Pure-Blood families. Extremely into blood purity and the dark arts. All of them are either dark wizards or criminals. And everyone is waiting for Oni Kage to follow their footsteps. But I don’t know.”

  “Why?”

  “He doesn’t do anything but get perfect grades; he’s smart. Always comes second to me. And he’s arguably the best Seeker in the world right now, especially in Japan. He should be a national hero, but since he has the Kage name, no one will see him as anything other than a Kage. After all, his name isn’t helping him much.”

  “Why, what does it mean?” asked River.

  “Shadow Demon,” Sora said.

  “Yeah, that’s not a nice name,” River nodded.

  “Plus, all he does is brood and sit by himself,” Sora said. Her face turned a bit angry. “And is a total jerk. Rude, arrogant, and thinks he’s better than everyone.”

  “I’d be angry too if I grew up thinking everyone thought I was going to turn bad, honestly… I’m kinda in the same boat,” said River. Sora looked at him, confused. “Last year, when I was the newest Chosen at Ilvermorny. That’s where all four houses pick you, and you get to pick. It’s very rare. The last one became the president back in the 20s or something. But when the news broke, there was a headline in the paper that said I could be either powerful or the next wizarding terrorist. Some people still think I’d become bad. And people out there right now want to kidnap me and turn me into a weapon.”

  “River-San, I’m so sorry,” she said.

  “Well, it’s my lot,” River shrugged. “I’ll deal with it when it becomes a bigger problem.” He smiled.

  “Are you crazy?” Sora asked.

  “Yes,” River nodded.

  “Very crazy,” Murphy added.

  “Insane,” Archie finished.

  “I see,” Sora said.

  The rest of the day was spent waiting and waiting. Lunch, more people threw their names in. Then dinner came, and not a single person got up to put their names in. Everyone was filled with anxiety and excitement. In a few minutes, there will be three champions ready to try their hand at glory.

  Soot turned the lights down in the Great Hall, and all eyes were purely on the Goblet of Fire. The tables were covered in food, yet no one touched an ounce. “When a name is announced, come up and go into that side door to wait for the rest of the champions.” Soot said, pointing to the side door. “From there, they will get their picture taken and will review the date of the first task.”

  Suddenly, the flame turned red, then spat out a small slip of parchment high into the air. It slowly fluttered down, its ends smoldering with a smoke trail following it as it fell.

  Soot put a hand up and snatched it out of the air. River was nearby, and could tell by the color of the parchment that it was either Ilvermorny or Hogwarts.

  Soot slowly unfolded the slip of paper and read the name on it. “The first Champion is… from Hogwarts.” Tense gasps rang out from the Hogwarts section. “From Hogwarts, Seventh Year, Jonas Drake!”

  Cheers burst from the Hogwarts area. A tall, handsome boy stood up to cheers and pats on the back. He had red on his robes. He walked up to Soot, shook his hand, then shook Harry’s hand before walking out of the side door.

  The room fell silent again. Then, not even a few minutes later. The blue flame turned red again and spat out another slip. This time it was pink. The fire returned blue as all the eyes locked on the pick petal, looking at the note. Soot snatched it out of the air again.

  “From Mahoutokoro, Sixth Year, Oni Kage,” Soot read out. There were more gasps than cheers. Sora looked like she was going to cry. The Headmaster of Mahoutokoro looked furious. Oni Kage stood up from the end of the Thunderbird table. He walked past River and up to Soot. He bowed to Soot and Nekomi before walking out to silence.

  Before the door even shut, the Goblet turned red again. There were more gasps; now it was Ilvermorny’s turn. Someone River knew was about to be picked. The slip seemed to fall more slowly than the others. Soot reached out and opened it. “From Ilvermorny, Second Year—What? Arther Graves…”

  There was a mix of gasps and cheers. River sighed, Murphy shrank, and Archie let out a stream of curses. The only ones cheering were the Wampus table. Arther got up and ran up to an angry-looking Soot. Arther smirked and walked out.

  “I can’t believe that jerk is the Champion,” River said.

  “Why?” Sora asked, her voice soft from disappointment.

  “He’s like Oni Kage, but actually is the worst,” River said. “He slings Mudblood around like it’s a comma.”

  “You shouldn’t say it,” Sora said quickly.

  “It’s ok, I am a Mudblood,” River said. “I don’t find it offensive, I know I’m better than him in every way.”

  “River Grimes,” Soot said.

  River looked up and suddenly saw that every single pair of eyes was on him. “Was I talking too loud?” River asked.

  “From Ilvermorny, Second Year, River Grimes,” Soot said, holding a smoldering piece of paper.

  “Huh?” River said.

  “River Grimes come up,” Soot said.

  Still confused, River stood up and walked over. “What’s up, Soot?” he asked.

  Soot flipped the note over and showed it to River. It was in his handwriting. He looked at it, then at Soot, then at the cup, then at Pan, who looked pale. Suddenly, his stomach jolted.

  “You mean?” he whispered.

  Soot nodded, “Go to the side room, River. We’ll talk later.” Soot put his hand on River’s shoulder and started to push him over to the side room. River looked to Pan, who was pale, hands trembling, being held over her mouth. He blinked; his eyes fell on Harry, who looked pale, and to Hermoine, who looked furious and pale. Then his gaze fell on Sabine Vexx. She had a smile. He blinked, looking at her. Then, suddenly, his view of them was cut off, and his legs carried him out of the Great Hall and into the side room.

  From there, he saw Arther, Oni Kage and Jonas Drake. “What are you doing in here, Mudblood?” Arther said coldly. “This room is for Champions, not filth.”

  “Then why are you here?” River replied.

  Then the door burst open, and swarmed in Soot, Pan, Harry, Hermione, Nekomi, and the Prime Minister of Japan, whose name River didn’t remember. The Japanese Minister stormed up to River and slapped him across the face. Soot punched him, and he fell right to his back. “Never touch my students like that again! I don’t care who you are!” he growled. Then Soot turned to River and grabbed River’s arms and lifted him into the air.

  “River, did you put your name into the Goblet of Fire?” he asked.

  “No!” River said. “I didn’t want it. I don’t want glory.”

  Soot looked deeply into River’s eyes for a long second. “I believe you.” Soot set him down.

  “Can’t we just take him out of the cup?” Hermione asked.

  “Hermione, you know it doesn’t work like that,” Harry said.

  “Soot! It is not fair that you get two champions! Even if they are too young, you still get two! This is an affront on my honor!” the Japanese Prime Minister shouted.

  “Prime Minister Oda,” Soot said, turning on the man again. “We did not plan on having two champions, let alone two underage champions. If you give us a damn second, we can come up with a solution. Now, do you want to keep shouting like a toddler, or do you want to work something out like adults?” Soot said in a firm, calm tone. Oda didn’t know whether to be scared, taken aback or abashed.

  “Fine…” Oda said.

  “The champions, go back to the Great Hall. River, stay here, Hermione, Harry, Oda and Nekomi come speak with me,” Soot said, walking over to the fireplace.

  Hermione went over to River; her hands were trembling slightly. She rubbed his red cheek from the slap. “He shouldn't have hit you,” she said softly. “He’ll pay for that, don’t worry.” She pulled out a small vial, put a dollop of white paste on her fingertip and smeared it on the mark on River’s cheek. Instantly, it felt warm and better.

  She cupped River’s cheeks with both hands. Her eyes were brown and warm. Even if this was the first time he had ever met his godmother, she already felt like a mother to him. “All better?” she asked softly.

  “I mean… a kiss could make it better,” River said.

  She laughed, “Cheeky git,” she turned his head and kissed his cheek.

  “Hermione,” Harry said from across the room. River and her both looked over to the others looking at them. “Can you come here for a second?”

  “I’ll be right back, River, ok?” she said softly. He nodded. She walked over to the other side of the room to join the whispers. Then they walked out of the room, leaving River and Pan, who were standing by the door.

  Then she walked up to River. He looked at her, and she was pale and worried. “I thought you said he didn’t put my name in.”

  She sighed, “River… Cyrus didn’t; he put Arther’s name in. As some sort of pathetic grab to put glory on the Graves name, I guess.”

  “Why were you so sure?” River asked. “When I told you, you were so positive he didn’t put my name in. Why?”

  She looked at him, blinking slowly.

  “You knew… You knew someone put my name in, didn’t you?” River asked.

  “No!” she said quickly, but they both knew immediately it was a lie.

  “Lie…” River said, backing away from her.

  “River, I’m sorry,” she said, her voice breaking.

  “You knew I wanted a normal year… after Rook, you knew how hurt and broken I was!”

  “I didn’t want it!” Pan said, tears forming in her eyes.

  “Did you put my name in?” he yelled.

  “NO!” She yelled back.

  “Lie!” River shouted, ignoring his Legilimency telling him otherwise.

  “NO! I didn’t lie!” Pan said.

  “I put your name in,” a smooth voice said from the back of the room. River looked past Pan to see Sabine Vexx. The President.

  “What?” River said his anger was boiling.

  “I put your name in, despite Pan’s refusals,” Vexx walked to them. “I wanted to see how you’d perform in high tense situations with death on the line. What happened with Rook was just a one-time thing; anyone can get lucky once. Harry Potter got lucky his first year when he killed Quirinus Quirrell in his first year. I want to test and see the limits of your powers—”

  “Test me?” River shouted, his anger flashing over to a rage. “TEST ME?” he screamed. His fists are balled. His blood is reaching boiling. The room started to shake, and the fire in the fireplace erupted into an inferno.

  “River, please calm—”

  “No!” he shouted, the floor cracking under him. The wands under their robes began to shoot sparks. Pan and Vexx quickly pulled their wands out so they wouldn’t get burned. River’s wand already burned a hole through his robe's pocket, falling to the floor. The room shuddered from his rage.

  “River, please!” Pan said, tears and fear in her eyes.

  “I am not your test subject! I am not yours!” he shouted at them. “I am not a weapon! I am not yours to test, to watch, to anything! I am not yours!”

  “Please…” Pan said.

  “No!” he shouted. “Stop! All you do is lie! All you do is let people hurt me. You are not my mother!”

  Her eyes went wide.

  “You will never be my mother! I don’t even know my mother, and she was more of a mother than you will ever be! I hate you!” River picked up his wand and stormed out. He slammed the door hard, and instantly the fire in the room vanished, the floor stopped splintering, and the walls stopped rumbling.

  River stormed out into the Great Hall and sat down. Eyes all over him, he just bent low, putting his head in his hands.

  “Attention,” Soot called. “Due to the unfairness of Ilvermorny having two champions, despite the obvious age issue. Some people can’t get over it.” Soot smiled. “So we talked and decided that fairness was one of the main reasons we decided to have this event. So in the name of fairness and camaraderie. We will announce that this Tri-Wizard Tournament will no longer be the Tri-Wizard Tournament. It will now be the Sex-Wiz--- wait…. Uh, no, not that. Let’s call it the… let’s see….” He scratched his chin. “The Tri-School Tournament!”

  Cheers rang out.

  “Now you may be wondering why the name change? Well, here’s the juice. Instead of three champions. Each school will now produce two champions, in a total of six.”

  The room erupted in chaos.

  “Now…” Soot said, raising his hand, silencing the chaos. “To make it fair, even if Ilvermorny didn’t get to pick our champions, who are underage, might I add. It was voted on that the Headmaster from Mahoutokoro and Hogwarts gets to pick their second champion. Starting with Mahoutokoro.”

  Headmaster Nekomi stepped up to the podium. “Mahoutokoro selects as our real champion. Princess Yuki Sora.” Cheers burst in the hall.

  Sora stood up and bowed.

  Then Harry Potter walked up to the podium. “For our second champion, Hogwarts selects. Uh, let’s see, who wants it?” Harry asked, looking at the Hogwarts students. Most of them jumped up, waving their hands in the air. “Kattie, you want it?”

  “Yes!”

  “Hogwarts selects Kattie Locket!” he said.

  “Yes!” a loud girl jumped up. “In your faces, Slytherin!”

  “Kattie,” Harry said warningly.

  “Sorry, sir,” she said sheepishly.

  “Can all six of our champions come up here, please?” Harry asked. They all stood up besides River, who was still keeping his head down. “River, that means you, too.”

  River sighed, stood up and walked over to the stage. He stood off to the side from the rest.

  “Champions, please join hands,” Harry said. “Just kidding, River!” he said quickly, seeing the glare he got from River.

  “Ladies and Gentlemen, our six Tri-School Champions!” Soot said. Cheers rang out in the hall, with flash photography from newspaper reporters. River never noticed before, nearly blinded him.

  “Not only that,” Soot said. “Five of our champions are also playing in our mass school Quidditch tournament!”