studiobondurri 202: The Goblet of Fire
202: The Goblet of Fire
202: The Goblet of Fire
After welcoming the two schools, all of Hogwarts' staff and students entered the Great Hall.
The moment John walked in, he noticed Heinrich, now wearing Durmstrang's uniform.
Heinrich was already seated at the Slytherin table. Once Slytherin students took their seats, the Durmstrang students joined them at the Slytherin table.
Beauxbatons chose to sit at the Ravenclaw table, and John could feel glances being cast toward him from that direction.
He smiled and greeted Fleur, who had her face partially concealed under a scarf.
The Great Hall no longer displayed only green banners; instead, the house banners of Hogwarts were hung throughout. @@@@
At the Slytherin table, Krum greeted Heinrich.
"Edgar," Krum called out.
Heinrich glanced at him briefly and responded, "Krum."
The two nodded at each other in acknowledgment, but their interactions made it clear they weren't particularly close.
Meanwhile, other Durmstrang students who noticed Heinrich didn't seem too pleased. Some muttered under their breath, appearing to grumble something about their misfortune.
Malfoy, observing this, decided against striking up a conversation with Krum. Instead, he turned and asked Heinrich, "It seems like you don't get along well with them."
"They're just a bunch of losers. After losing to me, I isolated them," Heinrich replied with a calm expression.
This attitude was just short of John standing up and declaring, "Everyone here is trash."
Malfoy: "?"
He looked over at the Durmstrang students sitting at the far end of the table, then back at Heinrich.
"You isolated all of them by yourself?"
Karkaroff had also noticed Heinrich. His expression darkened slightly, but he managed to hold back any outburst.
Edgar was notoriously stubborn, and every time Karkaroff saw Heinrich, he couldn't help but be reminded of that Edgar who had been at Voldemort's side.
That Edgar had been an unsettling figure, especially because, even after the Death Eaters were apprehended, there was no news of his capture.
This only deepened Karkaroff's fear.
"The starry ceiling is fascinating. We don't have magic like this back at home," Krum said.
Among Durmstrang's students, Krum was undoubtedly the most famous. In terms of popularity, even Karkaroff couldn't compare to him.
Malfoy, who aspired to pursue a career in Quidditch, was naturally very interested in Krum.
"I'm Draco Malfoy, Seeker for the Slytherin Quidditch team," he introduced himself.
As fellow Seekers and Quidditch enthusiasts, Malfoy and Krum quickly found common ground and struck up a conversation.
John, on the other hand, wasn't engaging in any small talk. His attention was drawn to the staff table, where four additional chairs had been set out.
Two of the chairs were for the two visiting headmasters, while the other two were likely reserved for representatives from the Ministry of Magic.
Johnny Silverhand, the sponsor representative, would arrive after the tournament officially began.
After all, since they were footing the bill, even Hogwarts had to show them some respect.
The staff entered, filing into the main seating area.
At the very end of the line were the three headmasters: Dumbledore, Karkaroff, and Madame Maxime.
Beauxbatons followed a more formal, European-style education system. When their headmistress appeared, the students immediately stood up and remained standing until Madame Maxime had taken her seat.
This was in stark contrast to the more laid-back, free-spirited culture at Hogwarts.
A few Hogwarts students, not understanding this display, couldn't help but chuckle.
Dumbledore, however, didn't sit down. He stood and waited until the hall fell completely silent.
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, ghosts, and especially our honored guests," Dumbledore began, his eyes twinkling as he glanced toward the foreign students. "It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to Hogwarts. I hope and trust that you will find yourselves comfortable and happy here."
"The moment we've all been waiting for has arrived," Dumbledore said, smiling down at the upturned faces. "The Triwizard Tournament is about to begin, but first, allow me to explain a few things before bringing in the box."
"The box?"
Students perked up at the mention, whispering among themselves about what kind of box it might be.
Dumbledore continued without pause, "First, let me introduce two esteemed guests. Please welcome Mr. Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation."
Applause echoed through the hall.
"And this is Mr. Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports."
Another round of applause followed. The students were no strangers to these names, having heard them repeatedly during the Quidditch World Cup.
Old Barty managed to squeeze out a stiff smile—it was advice John had given him, claiming it would make him seem more approachable.
The robes on Barty Crouch were meticulously arranged, making it clear that he was a man of precision and discipline. However, the butterfly bow tie on his chest added a touch of ease, giving people a relaxed feeling and preventing any sense of oppression.
This was a design specially commissioned by John, who had hired a stylist to create the look for Barty. The goal was to leave a positive impression—friendly yet professional.
Most of the audience at the school were students, and being overly rigid might not go over well. Striking a balance between formality and approachability was the key.
Barty had also brought Percy along, who stood to one side without stepping forward.
He nodded in John's direction as a greeting, and John tapped his badge, signaling that they would gather later.
All the members of the Constellation Society were present, and John felt that a celebration might be in order.
Dumbledore continued speaking, mostly praising the hard work of Barty and Ludo. John, however, didn't pay much attention to the details.
The main point was that the judging panel for the Triwizard Tournament would consist of the two Ministry heads and the three school headmasters.
Dumbledore then instructed Filch to bring the box forward.
Filch, dressed in a brand-new tailcoat, carried the large, jewel-encrusted wooden box up to the table.
Some students stood on their benches to get a clearer view.
Filch carefully placed the box on the table, while Dumbledore continued explaining the process.
"This year's Triwizard Tournament would consist of three tasks, spaced out across the school year. Each task would test the champions in various ways. "
"For example, magical ability, courage, reasoning skills, and the ability to overcome danger..."
"You already know," Dumbledore continued calmly, "that three champions will compete in this tournament, each representing one of the participating schools."
"We will grade them on how well they complete each task. After the three tasks are finished, the champion with the highest score will win the Triwizard Cup. The selection of the champions will be carried out by an impartial judge—none other than the Goblet of Fire!"
Dumbledore drew his wand and tapped three times on the lid of the box.
The lid slowly creaked open, making a slightly harsh, grating sound.
Dumbledore reached inside and pulled out a large, roughly hewn wooden goblet.
Although the goblet itself looked unimpressive, it was filled with blue flames dancing wildly inside.
"Every student who wishes to be considered as a champion must write their name and school on a piece of parchment and drop it into this goblet," Dumbledore explained.
"Those who aspire to become champions have twenty-four hours to submit their names. Tomorrow night, on Halloween, the goblet will choose the three students it deems most worthy of representing the three schools."
"Tonight, the goblet will be placed in the entrance hall, where any student who wishes to participate may access it."
John couldn't help but notice something peculiar in Dumbledore's tone as he said "may access it," almost as if there was a hint of anticipation for someone to break the rules.
Of course, Dumbledore wasn't naive. He had set up an age line around the Goblet of Fire.
Those underage wouldn't be able to cross it.
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