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Chapter 476: A Beautiful Scene
Chapter 476: A Beautiful Scene
"They can't do this!" Ron grumbled as he walked towards the exit with the crowd after the banquet. "I'll be fifteen next March. Why can't I give it a try?"
"Yeah..." Harry agreed.
He, too, aspired to become a champion, but his birthday was even later, in July.
Hermione remained silent, her head bowed.
"It can't be helped, little Ron," Fred suddenly said, walking up behind them with a smile. "It's a school and Ministry of Magic regulation. You have to follow the rules."
"Yeah, just be a good spectator." George joined them from the other side. "Just remember to cheer us on when the time comes."
"Hmph!" Ron turned his head away.
Fred and George talking about following rules... That had to be the funniest joke he'd heard all year.
"Why can you sign up, then?" Ron asked sourly.
"I always knew you were dumb, but I didn't realize you had no brains at all." Fred gave him a strange look. "We can sign up because we're old enough, of course!"
"We're sixteen, a year older than the required age," George added. "You haven't forgotten our ages, have you...? Because if you have, we're heartbroken."
"I haven't forgotten!" Ron said. "I just think it's unfair... That's a thousand galleons!"
"Well, you'd have to be able to win the championship, then," Fred said.
"Have you ever gotten an 'O' in your Transfiguration or Charms exams?"
Ron's face turned slightly red, but he stubbornly said, "The Triwizard Tournament isn't an exam. It has nothing to do with grades. What if I could win the championship?"
"Ha..." George couldn't hold back his laughter.
"That's really a shame... You're not old enough, Mr. Future Champion," Fred said, raising an eyebrow.
After that, the twins ignored Ron and continued walking forward, chatting loudly about how they would be the first to sign up.
Ron, on the other hand, kept complaining about the unfairness of the competition and how everyone should be allowed to participate.
"But people have died in the competition," Hermione said quietly outside the Great Hall. "Didn't Dumbledore just say that this is why the tournament was discontinued for a century?"
"Yeah, but that was a long time ago, right?" Ron said dismissively. "And Dumbledore also said that they've done a lot of work to ensure that no champion will be in mortal danger. If fifteen-year-olds are allowed, then we should be, too."
For once, Hermione didn't argue. She kept her head down, deep in thought.
"Hahaha..."
Suddenly, a boisterous laughter caught her attention. It was coming from the Hufflepuff group not far away.
Mick was waving his hands and laughing loudly. "Who do you think will become Hogwarts' champion, Kyle or Cedric?"
"It has to be Kyle! His Special Services to Hogwarts School badges are probably enough to fill the entire Trophy Room!" someone said.
"No, I think it'll be Cedric," a sixth-year student shook his head. "He's in the sixth year, so he has the age advantage."
"But Kyle has received the Second Order of Merlin..."
"Heh heh..." Amid the heated discussion, a different voice cut through.
"I think the champion should come from Ravenclaw because we're the smartest students at Hogwarts, not you mediocre Hufflepuffs!"
The intense debate came to an abrupt halt, as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over the lively atmosphere.
Although many had considered Hufflepuff to be synonymous with mediocrity before, in recent years, with their consecutive wins of the Quidditch Cup and the House Cup for four years straight, such remarks had become rare.
He curled his lips, "I don't deny what you said, Ravenclaws do tend to be intellectually gifted, but I just have one question... Who among you can boast consecutive years of topping the grades like Cedric?
Or like Kyle, who has achieved perfect scores and garnered three Special Service to Hogwarts School badges..."
As his words trailed off, everyone around burst into laughter.
Roger Davis's face turned crimson, "Laube... He's the top student in the seventh year!"
Several Ravenclaws chimed in, voicing their support for Laube as the ideal candidate for the Triwizard Tournament.
Having their academic achievements consistently overshadowed by Kyle and Cedric, they were eager to seize this opportunity to prove their mettle and showcase their prowess.
"Oh, I thought you were going to bring yourself up, Davis. Shouldn't you be over fifteen as well?"
Ryan chimed in with a smile, "Don't deny it, you want to be a champion too... It's a pity that if you had won the Quidditch Cup even once, you'd have something impressive to show for it now."
Davis, left speechless and with his face growing even redder, wanted to retort but couldn't find the right words. All he could muster was, "Just you wait and see who gets to be the champion," before turning and stomping up the stairs.
However, in his haste, he failed to notice the tricky step in the staircase and stumbled.
Hogwarts was notorious for its mischievous staircases, and as an older student, Davis would typically be adept at navigating them. But it seemed his anger had clouded his mind, causing him to forget about this peculiarity.
The surrounding students found the situation even more amusing, and even the suit of armor at the top of the stairs seemed to be chuckling along, creaking and clanking with laughter.
"Shut up!" Several Ravenclaw students rushed forward to pull Davis out of the staircase and quickly made their way upstairs.
Back in the Gryffindor common room, Kyle still couldn't wrap his head around the significantly lowered age requirement for the Triwizard Tournament.
Cedric had to call out to him three times before he snapped out of his reverie.
"Sorry." Kyle dismissed the first years to their dormitories and turned to Cedric, "I was lost in thought. What were you saying?"
"I was asking if you plan to sign up for the Triwizard Tournament," Cedric repeated.
"Of course," Kyle nodded.
Although he didn't know the reason behind it, he had no intention of missing out on such a grand event, especially since there was something about this tournament that piqued his interest.
Kyle glanced at Cedric.
"What? Do I have something on my face?" Cedric rubbed his face, looking perplexed.
"No," Kyle shook his head, "So, you're signing up as well?"
"Definitely," Cedric replied, "In fact, I think I have a pretty good chance of being selected.
It may sound a bit boastful, but I don't have many competitors. There's Laube from Ravenclaw, you, Connor, and Cho... Aside from us, I can't think of anyone else."
"Fred and George won't let you off easy if they hear you've left them out," Kyle remarked.
"Of course, I haven't forgotten about them," Cedric said, struggling to contain his laughter, "But honestly, I can't picture Hogwarts' champion pulling out a Dungbomb during the Triwizard Tournament. That would be a sight to behold."
"That would definitely be explosive," Kyle chuckled, "I don't think Professor McGonagall would approve of that either."
...
(End of Chapter)
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