Chapter 571: “Goblet of Fire”
As everyone gathered outside the castle to welco the arrival of the two visiting schools, two Ministry of Magic officials in charge of the Triwizard Tournant, Bagman and Crouch, arrived at the Great Hall via the Hogwarts fireplace.
Dumbledore, waving his hand to hush the applause of the young wizards, continued, Furthermore, I have an important announcent to make today.
Dumbledore purposely let his words linger in the air for a while to create the suspense effect by letting the students and the Professors alike to let their hearts not be wasted away with the euphoria.
After a brief pause, a warm smile crossed his face, As of today, I shall officially retire, and Professor Snape will succeed
as the new Headmaster of Hogwarts.
Dumbledores statent was t with initial silence in the entire hall, followed by an explosion of animated discussions.
In Slytherin, the students rose from their seats, offering enthusiastic applause and cheers for their Head Of House ascending to the role of Headmaster.
Conversely, the faces of most Gryffindor students, particularly Harry, soured. The news of a Slytherin headmaster felt like the world coming to an end.
Seeing how the Serpents were ecstatically cheering for their Head inauguration, the other students were not sharing the sa sentint.
Distinguished guests, please, let us continue, Dumbledore addressed the room. Our new Headmaster, Professor Snape, will now outline the program of events for the upcoming year.
Dumbledore used a Sonorus charm to quiet the room and welcod Snape to the podium with a gracious smile.
The forr Headmaster was now passing the torch to Snape, who, dressed in a black robe, ascended to the stage.
Snapes presence alone quelled the conversations more effectively than Dumbledores charm.
He exuded an aura of stern authority, and his re sight was enough to send shivers down the spines of many young witches and wizards.
With his usual poised manner, he stands proudly in front of hundreds of wizards and witches.
Snapes eyes surveyed the assembly, ensuring silence prevailed. He then instructed Filch to present a wooden box before proceeding to detail the intricacies of the Triwizard Tournant:
There are three tasks in total. The primary evaluation is magic ability, incorporating nurous challenges of bravery, wit, and sagacity. Three champions will compete, each representing their respective school. After each task, a panel of five judges will assign scores. Once all three tasks are complete, the champion with the highest total score will erge as the winner.
The selectors of the champions are not individuals but a magical artifact with a longstanding tradition in the Triwizard Tournant: the Goblet of Fire.
After Snapes explanation, he tapped the wooden box with his wand three tis.
The boxs lid creaked open to reveal a large, roughly hewn wooden goblet. While unassuming in appearance, it radiated with bright, bluish-white flas dancing within.
Lifting the Goblet for everyone to see, Snape continued:
Any student wishing to compete must inscribe their na and school on a piece of parchnt and place it into this Goblet. Aspiring champions have twenty-four hours to submit their entry. On the night of Halloween, the Goblet shall select, in the foyer, the three students it deems most worthy to represent the three schools.
Snape then went on to specify age limits and the irrevocable commitnt required of chosen champions, urging the students to contemplate their decision carefully.
However, the majority of young wizards were more fixated on the looming wooden cup, their eager eyes locked upon it.
Following Snapes explanation, the official welco banquet comnced.
Acting prudently, Jerry reinforced his Wizard Shielding Spell, rendering himself effectively invisible to anyone below the professor level.
An amusing spectacle unfolded in the adjacent auditorium.
At the Slytherin long table, several witches from Durmstrang enthusiastically retrieved pens and notebooks from their bags.
They got up and headed in Jerrys direction, eager to et him.
However, midway, their expressions shifted to a puzzled blankness, as if they had suddenly forgotten their intentions.
They retraced their steps to their original positions.
After so ti, they once again felt compelled to retrieve their pens and notebooks with excitent, repeating the previous situation.
If it were only a few of them, the repeated behavior might have gone unnoticed.
The Beauxbatons witch who sat with Ravenclaw, particularly Fleur, faced a similar dilemma, though she was already the center of attention for most n.
Each ti they ventured halfway to Jerry, they inexplicably turned back.
Thankfully, Jerrys Wizard Shielding Spell was so potent that while everyone sensed sothing was amiss, no one, aside from Dumbledore, realized Jerrys involvent.
Even Dumbledore, who acknowledged Jerrys use of a magical spell, responded with a knowing smile.
Dumbledore found Jerrys modest approach rather comndable, a far cry from the tis when he radiated an intensity similar to Voldemorts, attracting admirers under his brilliance.
At one point, it seed like Jerry was destined to follow in Voldemorts footsteps, gathering followers and forming his own faction.
However, Jerry had evolved into a more restrained, introspective individual.
He now possessed a thod to make himself seem unremarkable to others.
In Dumbledores eyes, Jerry had forsaken ambition, offering a stark contrast to his previous self.
It was one of the reasons Dumbledore felt at ease about retiring.
As the dinner concluded, Karkaroff led Durmstrang students back to their Ghost Ship while Maxi returned to Beauxbatons students to the Rune Carriage.
Evidently, they had no intention of staying at Hogwarts Castle for the night.
Despite the appearance of harmony during the dinner, the forthcoming competition among the three schools was an indisputable fact.
With the selection of champions on the horizon, they required private quarters.
It was possible they wished to avoid the prying eyes and ears of Hogwarts, especially when discussing strategies and tactics.
Returning to their respective dormitories, the Hogwarts students left the Goblet of Fire standing alone on the podium in the auditorium, surrounded by an age-line magical barrier set by the five judges.
Knowing the original plot of the story, this is when things will go wrong
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