Chapter 271: The Overstaffed Champion
Chapter 271: The Overstaffed Champion (Seeking Subscriptions, Favorites, and Votes)
As Liam was pondering the identity of the mastermind, the door to the room swung open again, and a large group of people flooded in: Professor Dumbledore, followed closely by Mr. Crouch, Professor Karkaroff, Madame Maxime, and Professor Mcgonagall. Before Professor Mcgonagall shut the door, Liam heard the Great Hall buzzing with the chatter of hundreds of students.
"What is going on here, Dumbledore?" Madame Maxime straightened her massive frame. Her handsome head nearly touched the chandelier adorned with candles, and her enormous chest, clad in black satin, heaved with agitation.
"I would like to know that as well, Dumbledore", Professor Karkaroff said, his face a cold smile, his icy blue eyes piercing. "The Age Line you, the most powerful White Wizard, drew should not be so easily breached."
"Harry, did you have anyone put your name into the Goblet of Fire?" Dumbledore asked calmly.
"No, I didn't!" Harry exclaimed.
"Oh, he must be lying!" Madame Maxime shouted.
"Respected Headmasters and professors, I believe Harry is telling the truth", Liam said, standing up straight. Harry looked at him with gratitude in his eyes.
"Little one, you don't need to defend your classmate. I doubt a Muggle-born wizard could uncover anything", Karkaroff said with a tone of disdain.
"A wizard's skill has nothing to do with their blood, Karkaroff. I've seen more than one Pure-blood wizard who is a complete fool. Put away that attitude of yours", Mad-Eye Moody said, tapping his staff on the ground and turning to stare at Liam with both his eyes. "Speak up, boy. What did you discover?"
"You should know that I have a deep understanding of alchemy", Liam said, taking a deep breath to steady himself. "If the Age Line Professor Dumbledore drew could be bypassed by some means, the Goblet of Fire, an ancient and powerful magical artifact, is certainly not something a student could tamper with. I don't believe any of my classmates have the means or the power to make the Goblet of Fire spit out a name that shouldn't be there."
"Very true", Mad-Eye Moody nodded approvingly. "The crux of the matter isn't the Age Line, but why the Goblet of Fire selected an additional person."
Mad-Eye Moody then looked at Karkaroff with a condescending gaze and said, "Don't forget, he's Harry Potter. Many people see him as a beacon of hope, and many others wish for his demise. Making him participate in a tournament he's not ready for is a good way to ensure his death."
"We all know that Professor Mad-Eye Moody considers any morning wasted if he hasn't discovered six attempts on his life before lunch—" Karkaroff shouted, but he was cut off as Mad-Eye Moody pressed his staff against his throat.
"I admit I might be a bit paranoid in my old age, but I'm not blind to such obvious plots. Honestly, this kind of tactic does remind me of your former colleagues, doesn't it?" Mad-Eye Moody smiled, but the scars on his face made the smile look terrifying.
"Y-You're talking nonsense!" Karkaroff stammered, looking nervous.
"My job is to think like a Dark Wizard, Karkaroff—surely you haven't forgotten that..."
"Alastor, that's enough", Dumbledore interjected, seeing the situation about to spiral out of control. "Let's not dwell on the past."
He then looked at everyone in the room and said, "I believe my student is correct. I just examined the Goblet of Fire and found no signs of tampering or modification. In this situation, it's likely that someone cast a powerful Confusion Charm on the Goblet, adding Harry's name as the fourth school's representative and ensuring he was the only candidate from that school. Such a powerful spell, to my knowledge, is beyond the capabilities of young wizards. Their magical reserves are simply not sufficient to cast it."
Everyone nodded instinctively. In this world, Wizards like Liam, who have extremely rare and special opportunities, are the only ones who can possess adult-level magic power before they come of age. For the majority, their magic power grows as they age. Harry Potter's previous performance at School indicated that he was no different from an ordinary Wizard in this regard.
"But what about this unfair situation? The Goblet of Fire has already been extinguished, and it's impossible to select more Champions." Madame Maxime glared, her eyes flashing with anger.
"Um, the Goblet of Fire stipulates that anyone whose name is spit out by the Goblet must participate in the Tournament. But does it say that Champions must be chosen by the Goblet of Fire?" Liam asked quietly. The others' expressions immediately changed, and they all looked at Barty Crouch, who knew the rules best.
"No", Mr. Crouch said sternly. "The Triwizard Tournament does not specify that Champions must be chosen by the Goblet of Fire. It only states that the Goblet of Fire enforces a Magical Contract on the participants. Of course, this rule has a loophole, and I believe—"
"Thank you, Barty", Professor Dumbledore interrupted Mr. Crouch before he could launch into a lengthy explanation. He then addressed the two Headmasters: "Now, you may each choose another participant."
"This means I have to share the Honor Points with someone else? Just because of someone else's mistake, my Honor Points and prize money will be reduced." Fleur muttered angrily. While it might be fair for the Schools to each have another participant, it certainly wasn't fair for the individual Champions.
But her complaint was clearly ineffective. The fact that everyone stood up when Madame Maxime entered the room showed how much control she had over her School, likely more than the other two Headmasters. Once she made a decision, no one could change it.
After the two Headmasters left the room, Crouch's face turned sour as he grumbled, "Dumbledore, your student's suggestion has significantly reduced our chances of winning."
"I don't think there's anything wrong with what Mr. Liang said. After all, this event is about exchange. If he hadn't brought up this suggestion, it would have left a bad impression on the other countries. Besides, we at Hogwarts want our Honor Points to be beyond dispute", Dumbledore replied solemnly.
Soon, the two Headmasters returned with their new Champions. Despite the official Champions' dissatisfaction, this was not the time for internal conflict, as it would only provide amusement for the outsiders. All the participants stood quietly, waiting for Mr. Bagman's pre-competition instructions.
"The first task is designed to test your courage", he said to the group of Champions. "So, we won't tell you what it is, because facing the unknown is an important quality for a Wizard. Yes, very important. I think you'll find out soon enough—"
"The first task will take place on November 24th, in front of the other students and the judges."
At least during the announcement, Bagman maintained the dignity of a Ministry of Magic official, a stark contrast to the weepy, indebted gambler described by the Weasley Twins when they cornered him with their father.
"During the competition, Champions are not allowed to request or receive any help from their teachers. The only weapon a Champion has for the first challenge is their wand. After the first task, they will learn about the second task. Due to the high demands and the length of the competition, Champions will not take the end-of-year exams."
Finally, it was over. Liam let out a sigh of relief, but he was disappointed that they hadn't caught the culprit who had tampered with the Goblet. This was likely a negative consequence of the previous plot changes.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
