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Harry did not expect his 4th year to go like this, but really, why should he expect any less at this point? The silence of the Great Hall when his name was announced unexpectedly after the official champions were selected for the Tri-Wizard Tournament was suffocating. Tripping on the way up to the Professors? Embarrassing. Being told he must participate regardless of him having actually entered his own name or not? Icing on the cake. The word ‘participate’ has so many meanings, though. Harry ponders seeing kids in muggle elementary school getting participation ribbons for just showing up and doing nothing during the end of year sports days. It may be a binding magical contract, but surely he could ‘participate’ in the same way. Save him from breaking the contract that by all accounts he shouldn’t even be beholden too if anyone thought for a moment about how falsified signatures are usually handled and prove the point that he doesn’t want to be there. Two birds, one stone.
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At least, that is what he thought before learning the first task was to be dragons of all things. Dragons! He is 14 years old and expected to confront a nesting mother dragon for an egg? Add to that the fact the task doesn’t end unless he is grievously injured or succeeds and there is no way he can slack. Thank Merlin Hagrid gave the secret of the Dragons, if not the full task details, up early so Harry could at least devise a plan to live. No magical shield could fully protect him from the flames, but with that, some flame retardant charms added to his clothing, and his trusty boom he may just make it to dinner.
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The second task is much easier to slack off in. Sure, the egg said something about never seeing what is special to him again, but there is nothing Harry couldn’t live without or replace. And if for some godforsaken reason the task involves actual people? There is no way they’d actually let them die for a school event. Especially given how much the organizers stressed that all tasks were designed to prevent unwarranted death due to that being a large factor in the original end of the tournament.
Once Harry lined up on the platform over the lake with the other contestants, he stood in a relaxed pose with wand in hand at his side. The start signal blared and he casually shrugged off the outer warm layer, observing as Krum, Delacour, and Cedric frantically threw off the robes and dove in. The officials on the podium seemed to be getting antsy at his slow reaction, so Harry cast a simple warming charm and dry clothing charm on himself before jumping into the fridged waters. He slowly swam about 20 feet from the platforms before flipping onto his back and floating, the water hardly bothering him with his occasional re-application of the warming charm and a small flame added over his core.
While his eyes were closed and he could not see the crowd watching, he could still hear them and the announcer. The confusion of the students who didn’t know him, calm but notable outrage of Headmaster Dumbledore, and shouts to get moving by Bagman and Crouch were amusing. Unless he gave the forfeit signal no one could force him back to the platforms, so Harry was content to remain where he was until time ran out.
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The third task came with warnings that attempting a stunt like the previous task will not be tolerated. So, when it was his turn to enter the maze, the final contestant due to having a whopping 0 points in the previous task – less than Delacour who while she didn’t succeed at least attempted it – Harry decided to move at a casual stroll.
For some reason, he didn’t seem to run into any major obstacles he could pretend were too difficult for him, so the plan to abort mission at the first sign of deathly creatures or spells was a failure for the time being. Plus, Harry didn’t really want to be the first one to send out the signal to be retrieved due to the not so nice warnings given at the start.
That being said, he eventually saw a red light from further in the maze signaling someone else forfeited. With that concern out of the way, when Harry stumbled upon a crazed looking Krum he immediately sent up a flare figuring it was as good a reason as any given confronting a highly skilled older student could arguable end poorly for about any other 14 year old.
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With that the terrible fourth year tournament came to an end and the school year soon after.