Chapter 267: The Banquet
Chapter 267: The Banquet
Once everyone arrived at the Great Hall, the Beauxbatons students chose seats near the Ravenclaw table. They seemed quite curious about Hogwarts Castle, looking around the Great Hall with somewhat displeased expressions. Three of them still had their heads tightly wrapped in scarves and headscarves.
"It's not that cold", Hermione complained. "Why aren't they wearing cloaks?"
"Probably because they came straight from their school", Liam explained. "As far as I know, Beauxbatons is in southern France, where the temperatures are much higher. I think they're just not used to the climate here."
"That makes sense. No wonder the Durmstrang students are so bundled up. It must be snowing in the north by now", Hermione said, nodding in understanding.
Ron was busy making space, initially thinking of asking Hermione to move. Liam quickly intervened, "Don't bother. The Hufflepuff table is already full, so the guests will probably choose the Ravenclaw or Slytherin tables, which have fewer people."
Ron initially seemed reluctant, but when the Durmstrang students chose to sit with the Slytherins, he could only mutter under his breath, seeing Krum chatting with the Slytherin students.
Once all the students had entered the Great Hall and taken their seats at their respective house tables, the faculty members filed in and took their places at the head table. The last to sit down were Professor Dumbledore, Professor Karkaroff, and Madame Maxime. Notably, the Beauxbatons students stood up as soon as they saw their Headmistress, a gesture that made a few Hogwarts students chuckle. However, the Beauxbatons representatives didn't seem the least bit embarrassed, and they only sat back down after Madame Maxime took her seat to Dumbledore's left. Dumbledore remained standing, and the Great Hall gradually fell silent.
"Looks like the French have very strict etiquette and strong organizational discipline. But that's not very French at all", Liam muttered to himself.
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, ghosts, and especially our distinguished guests", Dumbledore began, smiling warmly at the foreign students. "I welcome you to Hogwarts with great pleasure. I hope and trust that you will find your stay here both comfortable and enjoyable."
A Beauxbatons girl, still tightly wrapped in her scarf, let out a derisive snort. Well, Liam thought, he'd take back his earlier comment. Making such a sound while a respected elder was speaking was extremely rude. He guessed the French students standing up was more of a reflex, and it was more a testament to Madame Maxime's leadership rather than a change in French behavior.
"The Triwizard Tournament will officially begin after the banquet", Dumbledore announced. "I now invite you all to enjoy the feast as if you were at home!"
Finally, the feast began! Liam inwardly praised Professor Dumbledore.
Their plates were once again piled high with food, including several dishes that were clearly foreign classics. The house-elves in the kitchen had clearly gone all out to prepare them.
"What's this?" Hermione asked, pointing to a large platter of assorted items.
"That's smorgasbord", Liam said after a quick glance, remembering his trip to Northern Europe. "It's a platter of smoked herring, smoked salmon, liver pâté, sausages, meat slices, pickled cucumbers, salads, and cheese. It's a great appetizer from Sweden. You should try it."
"Indeed, it's quite good." Hermione said after tasting a piece of smoked herring with her fork.
About twenty minutes into the banquet, a small problem arose. A Beauxbatons girl with silver hair came to get some French Fish Soup, and Ron responded like a complete fool.
"Absolutely embarrassing. Has he never seen a pretty girl before?" Hermione murmured in complaint, seeing the scene. Just then, Ron’s voice rang out again: "Hogwarts doesn’t have anyone like that!"
Liam was extremely impressed by Ron’s courage; after all, offending all the girls in the school at once was something even Liam wouldn’t dare to do. The girls who heard this all glared at Ron, including his sister, Ginny. Harry edged away slightly, indicating that this had nothing to do with him.
Noticing Hermione’s souring expression, Liam quickly pulled her aside and said, "There’s no need to get upset over others. Besides, Ron is just under the influence of Magic. I felt a similar reaction to the Veela’s magic power when that girl came over. By the way, I’ve also managed to create a concealment Magic by analyzing their magic power."
Liam had only just remembered this after seeing the half-Veela. After studying the natural abilities of the Veela, Liam had tried to transform them into a Magic, but unfortunately, it failed. However, he eventually reverse-engineered a Magic called 'Invisibility,' which, when released on oneself, significantly reduces one’s attractiveness. The main use of this Magic is to make people around you ignore you, though the only drawback is that the effect automatically dissipates once you start interacting with someone.
Liam began explaining this new Magic to Hermione. Indeed, what attracted Hermione the most were all kinds of knowledge. The rest of the banquet passed with the two of them discussing and eating.
After finishing the last dessert, the plates returned to a pristine state. At that moment, Dumbledore’s voice suddenly echoed through the Great Hall, drowning out all other sounds.
"The moment has finally arrived, the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin. I would like to explain a few things before bringing in the box—"
After introducing the two newly arrived Ministry of Magic officials, the hall began to buzz with excitement. Following Dumbledore’s command, Filch carefully carried a large wooden box inlaid with jewels and placed it on the table in front of Dumbledore.
"The specific events for this year’s Champions have been thoroughly reviewed by Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman", Dumbledore continued as Filch set the box down. "They have made many necessary arrangements for each event. There are three events in total, spread throughout the school year, and they will test the Champions in many different ways."
The Great Hall fell silent as Professor Dumbledore spoke, as if everyone had stopped breathing.
"—The task of selecting the Champions will be carried out by a fair selector, the Goblet of Fire." As Liam tried to recall the details of the events from the original novel, Dumbledore’s speech came to an end.
After introducing the Goblet of Fire, Dumbledore drew his wand and tapped the lid of the box three times. The lid creaked open slowly. Dumbledore reached in and pulled out a large, roughly carved wooden goblet filled with flickering blue-white flames.
It seems the main character of this year has made its entrance, Liam thought, staring at the Goblet of Fire on the stage. It remains to be seen whether Harry will still become a Champion given the changes in the plot.
(End of Chapter)
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