Chapter 29: Trials of Champions and Echoes of Eternity
The Great Hall buzzed with excitement, anticipation hanging thick in the air. Candles flickered overhead and enchanted banners representing the four Hogwarts houses swayed in a gentle, non-existent breeze. At the front, the Goblet of Fire crackled with cerulean flames as it prepared to reveal the champions for the Triwizard Tournament.
Students from Beauxbatons, Durmstrang, and Hogwarts sat shoulder to shoulder, many on the edge of their seats. The room hushed as the Goblet spit out the first parchment, the flames shifting briefly to scarlet.
"Victor Krum!" Dumbledore announced with a deep voice that echoed off the ancient stone walls.
Applause erupted from the Durmstrang table. The stoic young man stood up, his expression unreadable, and walked confidently to the front. As he approached the Goblet, a subtle magical projection burst from the flames—an ethereal display of his feats: Quidditch World Cup star, defeating a fully-grown manticore during training, and surviving a duel against his school's headmaster in a demonstration.
Then came a vision of his deepest fear: a massive, spectral version of his mother, disapproving and disappointed, looming large in the air. Krum flinched but did not waver.
"Victor fears not death," said a mystical voice from the Goblet. "He fears failure before the eyes of those who raised him."
A silence fell again, and the flames turned icy blue before flaring brightly again. A second name was ejected.
"Fleur Delacour!" Dumbledore announced.
Gasps of admiration and excitement filled the hall as Fleur rose, her silver-blonde hair shimmering like moonlight. She gracefully approached the Goblet, head high. The fire shimmered again, revealing her accomplishments: a top-ranking Beauxbatons duelist, rescuer of a trapped basilisk-infested chamber, and a healer's apprentice who cured an entire village afflicted with magical influenza.
Her fear revealed itself next—a haunting vision of her younger sister Gabrielle drowning in a lake, Fleur helpless to save her. She gasped but remained poised.
"She does not fear harm to herself," intoned the Goblet. "Only her powerlessness to protect what she holds most dear."
Thunderous applause followed, though it soon hushed once more.
The Goblet flickered wildly this time. Gold, silver, and violet sparks danced from the fire. Then it burst upwards in a column of blinding white. A third name soared into the air and floated gently downward into Dumbledore's waiting hand.
The headmaster squinted, then announced, "Harrison Strange Potter!"
An overwhelming mix of awe and confusion surged through the hall. Most Hogwarts students were unsurprised, yet Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students looked shocked.
As Harrison rose from the Gryffindor table, the Goblet flared into an otherworldly violet and black flame. From it erupted an entire astral mural, spanning from floor to ceiling and wall to wall. Whispers echoed from beyond time.
A Chronicle of Eternity
A deep, resonant voice—neither human nor divine—spoke with celestial reverberation.
"He has walked in five lives... borne the weight of multiple worlds... he is the eternal guardian."
The hall plunged into a quiet trance as the mural played out Harrison's past incarnations:
---
Percy Jackson, Son of Poseidon
Images flashed rapidly—
Percy battling Ares, the Greek God of War, on Half-Blood Hill at the tender age of twelve.
Holding the weight of the sky, face etched with pain and defiance.
Riding hippocampi, battling sea monsters, and diving into the River Styx to gain invulnerability.
Jason Grace, Son of Jupiter
Leading the Roman legion into battle against giants and monsters.
Defying death alongside Piper and Leo.
Soaring across battlefields on the back of a wind spirit, lightning flaring from his blade.
Nico di Angelo, Son of Hades
Walking alone through Tartarus.
Commanding armies of the dead.
Whispering the names of the fallen as he laid souls to rest.
Carter Kane, Pharaoh of the First Nome
Banishing demons with hieroglyphs etched in mid-air.
Summoning Horus, god of war, to fight Apophis.
Wielding divine magic and teaching mortals and gods alike.
The Fifth Incarnation: The Reader from the Outer Realms
A nameless being who watched these stories unfold across the tapestry of the multiverse.
Who absorbed the wisdom of countless worlds and chose to incarnate with purpose.
---
"In each life, he bore the burdens of the world," continued the Goblet's voice. "He fought titans, gods, and monsters..."
Scenes flickered across the walls—
Harrison's past self striking down a rampaging Typhon.
His stand against Kronos in the Battle of Manhattan.
Wading through Tartarus with Annabeth at his side.
Facing Gaia as the Earth erupted in fury.
Saving cities from celestial destruction.
The vision ended with Harrison standing before a cosmic gate, cloaked in starlight and flanked by beings made of time and memory. A divine voice echoed:
"This one is marked by Chaos itself... A Champion not just of this tournament, but of all that must be."
Then the room returned to normal. The Goblet dimmed and fell quiet, as if exhausted.
The students sat stunned, mouths agape. No one applauded. Not out of resentment—but awe.
Finally, Clarissa stood and clapped. Penelope joined. Then Luna, Cedric, the Weasley twins, and Sirius. One by one, others rose and followed. Soon the hall thundered with applause.
Victor Krum looked at Harrison with narrowed eyes—not anger, but recognition. Fleur remained seated, hand clutching the table, her veela magic faltering in the presence of something so... other.
Harrison bowed politely to the Goblet, then to Dumbledore. He turned back to his friends and took his seat, a gentle smile on his face.
A Quiet Moment
Later that evening, Harrison sat in the Astronomy Tower with Clarissa and Penelope.
Clarissa whispered, "How do you live with all that?"
"By remembering this," Harrison said softly, holding her hand. "That I am loved. That here and now matters."
Penelope leaned her head against his shoulder. "You were a god once. But you're more human than anyone I know."
They sat like that for a while, watching the stars—Harrison, the champion of Chaos, and the two hearts that kept him grounded.