Chapter 259: The Triwizard Tournament
Chapter 259: The Triwizard Tournament (Please Subscribe, Favorite, and Vote)
As Hagrid led a group of newbies into the Great Hall, everyone fell silent. This year's freshmen seemed more nervous than usual, which might have been due to the fact that they were all drenched.
The thousand-year-old Sorting Hat was brought out again and began to sing a new song. To be honest, the long, off-key tune was quite a torture to the ears.
Finally, the song ended, and everyone clapped in relief, happy to have their ears back to normal. As one by one, the new students were called up, Liam and his friends began to whisper and discuss these freshmen.
Colin's younger brother was sorted into Gryffindor. He ran to the table, excitedly telling his brother about his miraculous experience of being picked up by the Giant Squid after falling into the lake. Colin then started introducing the senior students to his brother.
Naturally, the first one introduced was Harry. As a core member of the Harry Potter Fan Club, this was a must. Of course, this enthusiasm made Harry a bit uncomfortable, and he turned his gaze to the Sorting Hat, staring at it as if there was something interesting on it. When Colin introduced Liam, Liam smiled and nodded, then waved his wand to dry Dennis's clothes.
"Thank you, senior", Dennis said politely.
The Sorting Ceremony soon ended, fortunately without any lengthy speeches. Dumbledore stood up, smiling at all the students, spreading his arms in a welcoming gesture.
"I have only two words for you", he said, his deep voice resonating through the Great Hall, "eat!"
No wonder Dumbledore was such a respected Headmaster; he knew that in such a situation, what everyone needed was a hot, hearty dinner rather than a long-winded speech. For a moment, the entire Great Hall was silent, with only the sounds of cutlery clinking against plates and the quiet chewing.
Hermione learned from Nick that Hogwarts had hundreds of Pixies. However, she only paused briefly before continuing to eat her steak. It seemed that either Liam's influence or the incident where Harry nearly got killed by Dobby had changed Hermione's perception of house-elves.
Soon, everyone was full, and the last desserts were cleared away. Dumbledore's voice rang out again in the Great Hall.
He began with the usual announcements, adding a few new prohibited items and specifying areas that were off-limits. However, Liam never paid much attention to these rules, as he always carried items that didn't quite fit the school regulations and managed to visit the Forbidden Forest to see his friends about once a month.
After introducing the new Professor Moody, there was only scattered applause. Liam glanced at Mad-Eye Moody on the stage, noticing his magical eye darting around, scanning the students and the professors beside him.
After a few seconds of observation, Mad-Eye Moody seemed to sense something and turned his magical eye toward Liam. Liam quickly looked away, knowing that his brief observation couldn't determine whether Mad-Eye Moody was genuine or not. He would have to wait and see during class.
By this time, everyone was feeling a bit drowsy after the meal, and many were nodding off. But then Dumbledore dropped a bombshell.
"I must also regretfully inform you that there will be no House Quidditch Cup this year!"
The entire Great Hall erupted in uproar. Everyone knew that Quidditch was the only sport in the Wizarding World. Dumbledore's announcement was like a headmaster telling the students that all sports classes would be canceled for the year. If not for his high esteem, the hall would have been filled with protests. Soon, everyone quieted down, waiting for Dumbledore to continue.
Fortunately, Dumbledore did not disappoint. He quickly cleared his throat and explained.
"This is because a major event will begin in October and continue throughout the school year, taking up a lot of the teachers' time and energy. However, I believe you will all find it very enjoyable. I am delighted to announce that Hogwarts will be hosting a very special event in the coming months, one that has not taken place for over a century. I am very pleased to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be held at Hogwarts this year."
Perhaps noticing the impatience in the crowd, Dumbledore delivered his announcement in one breath.
"Oh no—Are you kidding?" Fred shouted, his face full of shock.
"I am not kidding, Mr. Weasley", Dumbledore smiled, "but since you mentioned jokes, I did hear a very funny one about a Troll, a Hag, and an Imp who all walked into the same tavern..."
Well, it was clear that Dumbledore had a good sense of humor, but now was not the time for jokes. Fortunately, Professor Mcgonagall's timely cough interrupted him, steering the conversation back on track.
Under Professor Mcgonagall's supervision, the Headmaster finally provided a proper explanation of the Triwizard Tournament for those who were not familiar with it. Liam, who already knew the details of the tournament, listened attentively without a hint of impatience.
After all, after three years of training, Liam's strength had reached a significant level. After much consideration, he decided to abandon his laid-back attitude. On one hand, his current abilities had improved immensely, giving him the confidence to directly participate in the story and earn more Deviation Points.
On the other hand, unlike the reserved nature of Easterners, Westerners often value those who can showcase their talents. Just like how the most popular figures in Western schools are the football team captains and cheerleaders, not the top academic students. Since Liam had formed an organization, he needed to demonstrate his leadership skills, and the Triwizard Tournament was the perfect stage for that.
As for the Headmaster's rule limiting participants to those over 17 years old, Liam dismissed it without a second thought. He had several methods that could potentially bypass the age-detection magic. If none of them worked, Liam would simply give up.
After all, the Age Line was a test in itself. If Liam couldn't break through it, it would mean his actual strength was not as he had assessed, and he couldn't guarantee his safety during the tournament. In such a case, he wouldn't be foolish enough to risk embarrassing himself.
After his announcement, Dumbledore dismissed everyone to bed. On the way back to the Gryffindor Tower, Hermione approached Liam and asked, "Are you going to participate in the tournament?"
Hermione still remembered how Liam had single-handedly led her through the Pyramid Temple Instance last year, despite her being a liability. In her eyes, the Triwizard Tournament was no more difficult than facing a group of Dark Wizards and evil magical creatures.
"I can only say I really want to, but I'm not sure how Dumbledore will enforce the age limit", Liam shrugged in response.
The Weasley Twins loudly proclaimed they would use an Ageing Potion to bypass the restriction, but Liam doubted it would fool Dumbledore.
After a heated discussion, everyone went to bed, as the day's long journey in the rain had left everyone exhausted. Liam also returned to his dormitory with the others, but instead of immediately going to sleep, he began to think about how to bypass Dumbledore's Age Line.
(End of Chapter)
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